


Kill The One You Love To Save Their Life

by BlakesRus



Category: Daenerys Targaryen - Fandom, game of thrones
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst, Bay Of Dragons, Being reborn, Betrayal, Character Growth, Daario - Freeform, Dany being alive is canon, Dany being powerful and strong, Davos is he MVP, Death, Don't fuck with Daenerys Targaryen, Dragon Queen is BACK mfs, Drogon - Freeform, F/M, Fire and Blood, Forbidden Love, Forgiveness, Forgiving themselves before they can forgive eachother, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Fucking, Gladiator vibes, Growth, Hurt, Hurt Dany, Hurt Jon, Jon accepting his Targness, Jon proving himself to Dany, Jon repping the Targ sigil, Learning to use her power, Lessons to be learnt, Lots of Angst, Lover - Freeform, Meereen, Mixed Signals, Pain, Rejection, Resurrection, Romance, Sad, Smut, Smutttttttt, Targ Power, True Love, Volantis, We don't give a fuck about the Starks, Winterfell, both repenting their sins, dany and Jon, did i mention smut, ghost - Freeform, repairing what D&D destroyed, so much fucking angst, they love eachother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-03-09 18:20:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 52,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18922516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlakesRus/pseuds/BlakesRus
Summary: Tyrion and the Starks are plotting to kill Daenerys after what happened at KL. Jon knows about Volantis and the Red Priestess Kinvara. He does what needs to be done to keep her safe.But will Daenerys be as willing to come around to the fact the man she loved killed her? How will they react when coming to terms with each other’s actions, both good and bad?EDIT - If you want to see Jon & Dany talk about their issues, angst, fluff & all in between then read this shit.SIDE NOTE - If you want to see the Starks fall & get what they deserve then read this shit.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've re written apart of this chapter near the bottom; so if you haven't already... re read that shit!

Jon stifled out a shaky breath. Knowing Daenerys would be resurrected at first made him feel better, but now all happy feelings were lost.

He was about to kill the women he loved.

And she didn't yet understand his plan. The last thing she'd remember would be him sticking a knife through her heart.

 _Focus Jon_ he reprimanded himself.

_You have to be strong, for her sake as much as your own._

He knew it was the only choice; Tyrion wouldn’t rest until Dany had been silenced for good and his family would never shelter her; not after what happened at Kings Landing.

And deep down he knew that if he told Dany his plan she’d refuse it, her gentle voice would persuade him that no matter what she’d be safe, because she had him by her side. 

But he knew...

He wasn’t going to be enough to protect her, and her persuasive ways would ultimately still end in her death; one he may not be able to reverse.  

He entered what was left of the throne room, Daenerys’s body jumped and Jon figured he’d interrupted something private.

“Sorry for intruding my Queen” He apologised, bowing his head.

Dany frowned “Don’t apologise, it’s quite alright” Her voice was light, and carried no anger at his intrusion.

She made her way towards him, smiling so innocently that he felt sick again.

“I’ve dreamt of this day since I was a little girl” She sighed, staring off into the distance, eyes bright and full of prosper.

His stomach dropped again, she looked so happy. Whether it was a justly feeling or not, she looked genuinely happy. 

 _He_ _couldn’t_ _do_ _this_. 

“When you were a bastard, and I was nothing… but now look at us” Her voice captivating as she spoke so softly of her- _their_ triumph.

She took a step closer to Jon, her eyes full of admiration and love for him.

He swallowed thickly, trying to concentrate on her eyes and not at her parted plump lips.

“Dany” He whispered gruffly.

She sucked in a deep breath; waiting in apprehension for what he was about to say.

“I love you” He declared calm and true.

Her eyes softened again, she reached out for him her small hands grasping his cloak with urgency.

“We will build a new world… you and I. Us- Together” She whispered, her fingers threading through his hair, her trusting eyes never leaving his.

“You are my Queen, now and always” He murmured before placing his lips on top of hers.

She kissed back needily, and he wondered if he could do this.

Could he really kill her?

He _loved_ her.

Her kisses were so delicate, and he remembered tragically how he’d pushed her away the last few times they’d kissed.

But not now, he couldn’t.

He kissed her back, his mouth much more urgent than her’s because he knew what was coming, they didn’t have much time; not as much as Dany thought they did.

He cupped her face, caressing her smooth cheek one last time.

She was warm, he could feel her pulse; she was alive.

 _Remember this_ he told himself.

_Remember how she feels, how she tastes, how she smiles, how she says your name._

His shaky hand grabbed his knife, and he gulped kissing her harder in the hope of distracting them both from what was about to happen.

And then it happened.

The sound of the knife piercing her flesh seemed to magnify in Jon’s ears.

Her lips suddenly broke apart from his, and she looked at him in disbelief.

God… the way she looked at him.

“Jon” She whispered, face twisting in discomfort as the large blade penetrated her organs.

_I trusted you._

Her eyes brimmed with tears, as her vision of Jon began to weaken.

“I- “She fought with death, she needed to speak.

_I loved you._

But then she was gone, her body growing heavier and heavier. Her eyes were still watery, still looking up at Jon’s face in horror.

He’d never forget that. The way she looked at him, the way she said his name with so much hurt, discomfort and desperation.

Her hand lay limp around his arm and Jon began to sob, even after he’d put a knife through her heart, she still reached out for him, still clung to him for comfort; for help.

"I'm sorry, Dany- I'm so so sorry" Tears were falling freely down his cheeks, but he never looked away. 

It was like a sense of dejavu hit him, the last time he remembered apologising to her was on the boat bound for Winterfell and her Dragon had fallen at his or rather the Night Kings hands.

And then Jon realised he hadn’t said sorry enough, for all the times his family had spoken ill of her and he’d never stopped them. 

Sorry for all she had lost and sacrificed for _him_ and the _North._

Sorry, that out of everyone she gave the most; her heart, body & soul and she got nothing back in return. 

Not a single damn thing. 

Jon Snow didn’t know much, but he knew one thing for certain.

_He loved Daenerys Targaryen and that was never going to change._

He looked straight into her eyes, he wanted needed for her to know that he was sorry. With every fibre of his being.

He continued to look into her eyes, as the colour started to drain from her face and the blood began to spill from her parted lips.

"Please forgive me, please" He was begging now, rocking her body back and forth.

The mother of dragons lay lifeless in his arms, the colour in her eyes dulling with each passing second.

He stroked her hair, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. He knew she was dead, and his comfort meant nothing anymore.

_Maybe it will never mean anything again._

_No_ , he scolded himself, she will forgive me. She’ll understand; she _has_ to.

He heard Drogon's impending cry for his mother and he knew it was time to let her go.

He reluctantly placed her body carefully on the ground, the ice already absorbing her blood. He looked away cowardly, not wanting to face what he did- what he'd _done_ to _save_ her. What an oxymoron if there ever was one, killing the woman you love to save her.

Drogon cried again and Jon edged closer to him, hoping the Dragon understood what needed to be done.

"Take her" Jon muttered, "Keep her safe" He pleaded with the Dragon.

He was disappointed, but not surprised when Drogon only roared in his face; Jon hoped one day he'd forgive him to.

Drogon nudged his mother softly, snout nestling into her neck. But her body just rolled around lifelessly, and Jon could have sworn he'd seen a tear fall from Drogon's amber eyes.

He nudged Daenerys again harder that time as if to say _Mom, wake up_.

**But she didn't.**

He screeched again; crying out desperately for his Mother and Jon wondered if he'd ever stop.

His neck reared up, nostrils flaring, his mouth opening wide and Jon was prepared to stare death in the face.

But Drogon moved again, his fire heavy on the iron throne. Jon looked on as the dragon lashed out on the one thing his mother had wanted, but now couldn’t have. The smell was heavy, as the throne began to melt away; unable to withstand the heat from his mouth.

Drogon eventually stopped, the throne no longer a throne but an ever-moving pile of smelted iron.

Drogon cast a glance back to Jon before hooking Daenerys body under his claws gently, his wings extending out as he took flight once more.

Jon watched as he flew through the snow filled sky, it felt like a piece of his heart was flying away to. He wiped his tears back, knowing the hardest part of this was done.

He left the half-scorned room, meeting Grey Worm along the way.

"Jon Snow" He growled, eyes looking from Jon's bloodied hand and back to his face.

"Where is she?" Grey worm demanded, "What did you do?".

Jon lowered his head, knowing it wasn't worth fighting "I killed her" He admitted.

"I killed her to save her life".

Grey Worm faltered, another person he loved was dead.

Thanks to the _**North,**_ thanks to **_Jon Snow_**.

He grabbed his pocket knife, holding it to Jon's throat. But he couldn't kill him, "She _loved_ you" He spat, almost disgusted at his Queens choice in men.

"She loved you, and you _betrayed_ her" Grey Worm looked away, swallowing thickly.

Jon shook his head, "No. I didn't. Drogon will take her to Kinvara and Dany will be safe".

"You take my Queen to a witch?" He glared, knife not leaving Jon's neck.

Grey Worm was untrusting at first, but he saw the pain reflected in his eyes in Jon's own and his grip on his blade loosened.

"Where...Where has she gone?" Grey Worm asked.

"Volantis".

Grey Worm frowned again, before leaving Jon with a parting sentence.

"I will take the Unsullied and the Dothraki to Volantis. If I find you have lied to me, or that my Queen is truly dead. I will find you and your family and I will kill them, then I will kill you".

Jon nodded, understanding loud and clear. 

Grey Worm left him alone in the corridor, Jon could hear him barking orders in the distance.

He took a deep breath, as he walkedoutside. Wondering if the ache in his chest would ever go away.He rushed towards the port where he was met by a concerned Ayra, Sansa & Bran.

“Jon” Sansa reached for him, but he rejected her gesture. 

“Don’t” He muttered. 

She collected herself, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.

“What have you done?” Ayra asked, eyes staring in concern at his bloodied hand.

Jon faltered, placing his hands by his sides.

“I think you already know” he swallowed thickly.

Ayra and Sansa shared a quick glance, a silent exchange of confirmation.

“We’re sorry it had to end this way” Ayra muttered, feeling downcast.

”No” Jon smiled sadly “Your not”.

“Why haven’t her army taken you prisoner yet?” Sansa asked, changing subject quickly.

“They don’t know she’s- she’s dead. Drogon flew away with her body” He muttered, wiping his eye swiftly before a tear fell.

That’s when Sansa realised it wasn’t just about playing the game of thrones. She’d played with her brother’s heart and her actions had ultimately broken it. 

“I hope that I can forgive you for betraying me. But right now, I don’t. Which is why I’m travelling North back to the wall”.

Bran nodded, “That’s where you should be”.

And Jon gulped, Bran must know... he knows everything but yet he said nothing.

Sansa seemed remorseful, but only because she had hurt him. She wasn't sorry that she'd betrayed and plotted against Daenerys, and he wasn't asking her to be. 

But it only strengthened his decision to go beyond the wall, Dany wouldn't be safe with them. 

_Only him._

"She wanted you to meet her Dragons" He smiled sadly at Ayra, reminiscing about the time Daenerys had shown how good her heart truly was.

_"I want your sister to meet them. I- I- I want to be everything my family was that she's ever read about"._

Jon had only laughed it off then, but now he realised just how much it meant for Dany to feel accepted by his family. 

And she wasn't, and she felt alone and he finally understood why she did what she did. 

But it was too late.

He cast a sorrowful glance to Ayra "I wish you good fortune".

Ayra nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek but she wiped it away as quickly as it had fell.

Sansa's mouth parted, to speak to say she was sorry. But she decided against it, Jon didn't forgive her now, so her apology meant nothing.

She nodded her head solemnly, as the three remaining Starks watched Jon as he boarded the boat accompanied by Ser Davos.

"Will he come back?" Sansa asked, crease in her brow.

Ayra shook her head, knowing Jon better than he realised "No. He never will" She admitted bluntly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos, and thoughts and comments below!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drogon finally gets Daenerys to Kinvara. But will the resurrection work? Will she remember what happened prior to her death?

Kinvara was alerted to the presence of a huge being in the sky. She felt it enter the city, the wind direction shifting viciously from north to south.

She also sensed the rightful heir to the iron throne near by. Her eyes grew wide in excitement as she rushed outside just in time to see the alarming shadow of Drogon as he hovered to land.

Kinvara smile was gleeful, until her eyes fell upon the lifeless body of the young Queen held securely in the Dragons grasp, and she gasped, hand covering her mouth in shock. 

Drogon was pacing around, clearly agitated at his mother’s lifeless state. Kinvara gulped, treading carefully towards Daenerys’s body that was being closely guarded by her child. 

Drogon screeched and Kinvara stopped moving, her eyes calmly looking at the beast. 

She’s not sure what changed his mind, maybe he remembered her from before as he folded in his wings, to reveal Daenerys’s bloodied body. 

Kinvara shouted for help, as she lifted Daenerys's body, the best she could away from Drogon.

He screeched again, but it was much quieter, almost sad like he was whimpering as he watched his mother’s body be taken away. 

Kinvara lay Daenerys’s body on a table in the middle of the room, surrounding her body with salts and spices. She excused her helpers, waiting until she was alone with Dany before she began chanting in Valyrian tongue, pleading with the lord of light to restore Daenerys's heart and let it beat again.

Kinvara knew the Lord of Lights view on Daenerys, and she was confident in her chants; knowing for one reason or another it would work.

_Daenerys Targaryen would rise again._

She hadn’t felt emotion when doing a resurrection before, normally it was the Lords will and she had to fulfil it, but this felt different; this time it meant something to _her_. 

She knew Daenerys was everything a ruler should be and she knew that she had a good heart and it bothered her to some extent that Dany was currently lay dead infront of her. 

She finished her chanting, kissing Daenerys cold forehead “I will see you tomorrow Daenerys Targaryen”.

She bid Dany farewell, advising the two men guarding the door to not let anyone enter; under any circumstances.

An hour or so later Drogon grew sleepy, and Kinvara wondered if his new found calmness was because he could sense his mother again. 

A helper rushed through the courtyard brandishing a scroll. “It’s for you” she muttered, thrusting the scroll into Kinvara’s hand before disappearing again.

Kinvara frowned, not remembering the last time she'd received a scroll; she opened it apprehensively.

She read the words once, then again. She re read the scroll to the point where she knew it's message off by heart. 

Daenerys had been sent here, she needed to be protected. And this _Jon Snow_ had organised it all... his name sounded so familiar that Kinvara almost hung on to the feeling that she knew him.

She rolled the scroll back up, slipping it protectively inside an opening in her dress. Taking note to keep it safe as there were strict instructions inside that she must give to Daenerys when she had recovered. 

* * *

She was hot, that was her first thought, feeling as though her whole body was on fire. Her body hurt, her skin was burning, simmering; she could feel the heat intensifying.

It shouldn't hurt, I'm a  _dragon._

It felt like she was drowning, struggling and spluttering for breath all at the same time, like a new born child coming into the world.

 _I need to breathe, why can't I breathe_  she screamed internally, throat growing tighter with every passing second, as she continued to splutter uncontrollably.

She wasn't in charge of her breathing, she wasn't infact in control of anything. She tried to move her body, but she was too weak to able to move even a finger.

It was like air was being forcibly pushed into her. Through her throat, into her lungs. Her heart was aching, a dull senseless kind of ache.

She managed to place a shaky hand to her chest in discomfort, a frown of pain slipping through her mouth.

It hurt, like nothing she'd ever felt before. The skin around it was tender and sore, but her brain was still spinning, body to disorientated to do anything other than panic. 

 _Is this how I die_ , she wondered, gasping for breath like she'd been submerged underwater for a thousand years and had finally broke the surface.

 _Am I already dead?_  

Her inner voice kept talking and talking, drowning out the sounds of her choking, drowning out the pain her body was subjected to.

**I was dead.**

Everything stopped, as if by magic at her realisation. 

**I died.**

But how-  _why._

Unfamiliar tears lined her weary eyes, blurring the vision she'd only just gotten back.

“I was dead” She whispered brokenly into the darkness.

She said it again, as if waiting for an answer.

But there was no one there, she was alone. 

By herself.

_I was alone when I died._

**No** - _yes._

She was groaning, the great Mother of Dragons reduced to tears and fear.

**Dragons.**

Drogon; where is he, is he alright?

She screamed in frustration; she didn't know anything. Only that the pain in her chest was intensifying, and her breathing was becoming more painful.

And then, like a saving grace a woman appeared. She was concerned, her gentle hand cold against Daenerys's forehead.

"Shhh my Queen" She whispered, her voice was soothing.

Daenerys's heart burned again, my  _Queen?_

Her memories were frayed, fuzzy, disorientated.

I _know her_  Dany thought, she was sure of it, the surest she'd been about anything in these last few moments.

She parted her dry lips, but she couldn't speak; almost like she had no tongue to. 

The woman's red pendant glistened against the flaming torches hung on the wall.  _I've seen that before,_  Daenerys thought.

"You might feel some discomfort my Queen, but I assure you it will go away. You need some rest, and when you are well enough, we can talk about what happened" Kinvara smiled, wiping Daenerys fallen strands of hair out of her face.

Kinvara wrung out a cloth, wiping it over Daenerys flushed face; making sure to wipe away all reminiscences of her blood off her panicked face.

Daenerys licked her lips, tasting the water. It felt good to feel something; it soothed her burning throat; if only for a second. 

Then Kinvara disappeared, and Daenerys felt uncomfortable, she was alone.

Again.

The tension around her body was slowly easing and she finally felt she could breathe comfortably, although the sharp pain every time her chest rose didn't deter. Her chest felt electric, it was fuzzy and warm and above all it hurt. It was sore, tender. And when she stroked her fingers above her bare chest she felt it. The small scar tissue, it hadn't healed; she wondered if it ever would.

She felt a weirdly timed sense of comfort, the scar made her feel safe because... Jon had a scar similar to that.

Wait.

_Jon._

And just like that the pain in her chest felt like nothing, because there was a deeper pain pouring from her eyes, wailing from her mouth.

_It was Jon._

Her face was devoid of colour, and she cried helplessly shaking her head.

"Your wrong" She shouted desperately, it couldn't be.

Her mind was lying to her, her memories weren't real.

**He wouldn't.**

**He couldn't.**

_He loved me_.

But her memories almost took pleasure in showing her, her final moments before death. The last thing she saw was Jon, and his hand holding the knife that had pierced her heart.

No.

No it couldn't be.

She sobbed, sobbed until her eyes had cried all the tears they could, until her chest couldn't shudder anymore.

Kinvara appeared and Daenerys frowned in despair wondering how long she'd been standing there watching her.

"Jon" Dany called out brokenly.

Kinvara nodded her head and Dany frowned, was Kinvara in on this too?

"He sent you to me My Queen" Kinvara frowned, uncertain eyes trying to understand what Daenerys was asking. 

Daenerys was crying out, wailing like Drogon had done when he had landed there. She began to choke on her tears and Kinvara realised she was in deep distress and it had nothing to do with being brought back to life.

Kinvara knelt down to Daenerys's level intervening the best she could "I'll give you something to take the pain away" Kinvara assured her confidently.

She tipped a liquid into Dany's mouth steadily, Daenerys willingly accepted it, as Kinvara was the only person that she could trust in that moment. 

Dany welcomed the flourish of relief that swam through her body, thankful that her eyes began to dry and her heart didn't feel like it was breaking anymore.

Now, it just felt like nothing.

_But maybe feeling nothing was worse than feeling something._


	3. Chapter 3

Dany’s eyes opened to the comforting presence of Kinvara standing discreetly at her bedside. "My Queen, how are you feeling? Do you feel any pain, discomfort?".

Daenerys nodded slowly, and Kinvara rushed around to fetch her some remedies that she was certain would ease her pain.

"Wait" Dany whispered, hand reaching weakly out towards Kinvara. "It is not a pain that you can prevent _or_ ease. Only _I_ can mend myself". Her brows quivered, a seemingly invisible dark cloud looming over her head as she spoke. 

Kinvara’s bowed her head as a sign of understanding, although when she departed the room confusion was plastered all over her worrisome face.

What pain could be so strong that neither she nor the Lord of Light could fix it. Kinvara hurried to her quarters, calling out for one of her helpers along the way.

"Send a message to Jon Snow... tell him his Queen’s awake, and I need _his_ help".

Kinvara knew for one reason or another of Jon Snow, he had _saved_ her Queen by sending her lifeless body to her, and she knew he must be able to help.

Dany lay on her side, knees brought up to her chest, back hunched over as she gripped her arms heavily with the opposing hand.

Is this how it felt?

To be betrayed by the one you  _love._  

Losing her children, Jorah and Missandei was a pain she carried with her every day, but this pain was _different_.

It didn't ease when she cried, it worsened. It never stopped plaguing her, not even for one  _single_  second as she slept. It was there, and it was letting her know that for every breath she drew it would be there to remind her.

Remind her what he did to her; the man she _loved_.

She wiped away the wetness from her eyes, the tears now making her red eyes sting more profoundly than before. She sniffed, looking around at the empty room she had taken solace in, painfully reminding her that she was alone.

_Well and truly alone._

And as if it were a sign from the Gods above, she heard it… Her child, Drogon, crying out for her desperately.

It stirred some stagnant energy to life that her body had been storing in secret, as she swept her body upright quickly, placing two bare feet on the stone cobbled floor.

She rushed towards the door, opening it hastily as she followed the sound of Drogon calling out for her.

She ran down the dimly lit corridor, a small sigh of relief escaping her dry lips when she saw the impending daylight at the end of it. 

She ran through the opening, her eyes squinting harshly as they adapted to the contrasting brightness of the outside.

"Drogon" She whispered his name softly; but she was hesitant at first, doubting herself - was this real?

_Was he really there?_

He cocked his neck to the side, his eyes finally landing on his very _alive_ mother. He screamed again, before charging towards her.

And Daenerys knew it was real; in that moment when trails of dust floated in the air behind his body, when his cries gave her goose bumps, and subsequently made her loose the ability to breath for a few seconds. 

He stopped short of her bare feet, lowering his body to the ground for his mother to approach him. 

Dany stepped forward, no essence of hesitation there anymore "Drogon" She whispered again, brows curling into a sad but relieved smile as she hooked her arm loosely over the side of neck. 

He nestled into her side, and a small part of her healed; she wasn't alone anymore.

_Because she had him._

He shook his head, shuffling his body again as if urging his mother to take her rightful place on his back. Dany, half tempted edged closer towards the back of his neck, fingers dancing lightly over the crooks of his scales soothingly.

But Kinvara appeared out of nowhere "No! My Queen" She shouted alarmed. 

Dany frowned, "He won't hurt me" stepping infront of Drogon, guarding her child instinctively “He’s my child” She said, firmly.

Kinvara nodded understandingly, "It's not him I'm worried about your Grace" Her words lingering in the air, as her cautious eyes rested on Dany’s chest.

And just like that, the pain she'd managed to forget about for those few precious moments hit her at full force. Her legs gave way as she collapsed into a heap in the safety of Drogon's arched wing.

He screamed out, feet stamping dangerously hard on the floor as he became consumed with panic.

Kinvara rushed over, offering Dany her hand. Dany took it, casting a sad smile towards Drogon. 

"I love you my sweet boy" She whispered, hand ghosting over the end of his snout before Kinvara and a few of her helpers rushed her back inside.

"You need rest" Kinvara scolded her, pressing a cold flannel to her forehead.

Daenerys gently pushed her arm away, "I'm fine" She lied, looking anywhere but Kinvara’s face.

Kinvara’s gaze was heavy on Daenerys, but she respected her Queen enough not to pry any further.

She sat opposite Daenerys, hoping her news would bring Dany some joy.

 "Jon Snow sent you here" Kinvara informed her, not realising Jon had far more to do with why Daenerys ended up there.

The colour drained for Daenerys's face once more, and she had to put her arm on Kinvara's shoulder to steady herself.

"W-what?" She trembled in disbelief.

Kinvara repeated herself again, an unsure twitch in her lips as she watched her words take a hold of Daenerys.

Dany held a shaky hand to her mouth, words not seeming worthy in that moment. She tried so hard to no longer permit the tears to build in her eyes, but she was powerless as they blurred her vision once again. She blinked heavily, feeling the water run defiantly down her cheeks, body shuddering.

Kinvara knew something wasn’t right, she attempted to console Daenerys, but Dany rebuffed her hand, she turned away sniffing, as she wiped the remaining tears out of her eyes with the back of her hand

“J- “She couldn’t say his name; she couldn’t bring herself to let it whisper from between her lips. Because the second she says it out loud; it becomes real.

She couldn't back track, or pretend. Saying out loud _who_ did it, _what_ they did.

It was too much.

But the sane part of her brain was pleading for her to tell another of his betrayal, to half the strain her recently punctured heart was under.

_You need to tell someone, anyone._

“Yes, he is the reason I am here” Dany whispered, voice painstaking shaky “Because it was his dagger that killed me, it was him- who put it there”.

Her face was devoid of all emotion, her old coping mechanisms kicking in, ones she thought were long gone.

Kinvara was chocked, her face twisting into sorrow, then shock, then anger, then lastly guilt - She had unknowingly invited her Queens _killer_ to the city. 

“I saved his life” Dany muttered after a long pause. “More times than I could possibly count. I didn’t do it for the glory, for the honour, for the thank you’s. I did it, without hesitation _every_ single time because I loved him”.

She stared at the wall opposite, her mouth telling Kinvara things she wished it wouldn’t. But she couldn’t stop the truth from spilling out of it.

“You know what I got back in return? I was pushed away, he- his family didn’t like me and he never fought for me, for us. Not like I thought he would. Not like _I_ did”.

Kinvara’s gaze lowered, finally beginning to understand why no special water or her gifts of power could ever have eased Daenerys’s pain.

“And the saddest part, the part that hurts the most is that I _trusted_ him- I- more than I’ve possibly ever trusted anyone else. I loved him, god- I wanted us, together… to rule and conquer and just be in love together- But he crushed my dreams, hope and trust the second his blade diced by skin”.

She let out a small whimper, the image of his watery eyes as he looked over her dying body clouded her vision.

“What about love?” Kinvara asked, noticing how Daenerys never mentioned him crushing her love for him.

Dany swallowed thickly, looking Kinvara in the eyes as she replied “I still love him, it pains me to know… Even knowing what I know now, I still would have saved him before, I still would have loved him with _every_ fibre of my being, even knowing that he would kill me in the end. Because I love him, and I _could_ \- _would_ never do to him, what he did to me”.

She didn’t look like the fierce and fiery Queen Kinvara had first met, she was exhausted, eyes were hollow and her heart presumably broken, physically and emotionally.

“My Queen- please forgive me” Kinvara’s bottom lip trembled, not out of fear but out of sadness. “I have already had a raven sent to him. He knows your alive, I’ve asked him to come here”.

Dany blinked slowly; eyes wide as she processed Kinvara’s actions. She placed her hand reassuringly on top of hers, “There is no need to be forgiven. You weren’t to know. Maybe seeing him- I don't know- We must allow him to come here”.

Kinvara nodded carefully, “I will make sure he is allowed to enter the city your Grace”.

* * *

Ser Davos's footsteps crunched through the snow as he made his way hastily to the newly built wall.

“Jon” He hissed, glancing sideways suspiciously to make sure no one was in hearing distance. 

Jon appeared, his newly chiselled cheeks letting out a huff of smoke. He hadn't been eating much, his appetite being the last thing on his mind, as he waiting anxiously by the window in his room at night, waiting for the Raven to come and bring him the news he'd been clinging onto. 

He knocked some soft snow off his shoulder “Ser Davos?” He replied, hope hanging in the air.

“I’ve been sent a Raven- well I mean _you_ have” He thrusted the scroll discreetly into Jon’s palm. “It’s from the witch- or whatever she is” He added, before leaving Jon to read the scroll in private.

Jon headed to his room, figuring he’d had most privacy there and if the worst had happened, he would be able to let his emotions out as little or as much as he wanted to, without being questioned.

He sat on the edge of his bed, apprehensive fingers toying with the small piece of string keeping the scroll together.

He took in a deep breath, not sure when he’d exhale again as he undid the string. 

_Jon Snow,_

_Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen arrived here in Volantis a few short days ago. She is awake, but struggling. I summon you to Volantis. Be as quickly as you can._

_Your Queen needs you._

He read it, then re-read it. _Your Queen needs you. -_ She does?

The weight that had consumed his shoulders these past few days finally departed and he was filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

_Something he’d only ever felt in the cold brisk winds of the North when he was with Dany._

_She was alive,_ that was the main and most important thing. He began gathering his small belongings together, Ghost rose up from his bed sensing Jon’s thoughts immediately.

“Yes boy” He whispered, “It’s time”.

Ghost whined, Jon knew he preferred the wintry terrain “We’ll be back soon, all of us” He assured his companion, fussing his head.

Davos entered Jon’s room, itching to ask what the scroll contained. Jon smiled, at sensing his impatience.

“She’s there- Dany. She’s alive” Jon sighed of relief, lips curling into a warm smile.

Davos nodded his head, “I’m coming with you Jon Snow. We’ll go together”. He left the room, not giving Jon the opportunity to turn his offer down.

His eyes lingered on the door Davos has exited through, and a small part of his gut told him there was something bad to come.

This was all too easy, Dany being alive, him being asked to visit Volantis to help her, like she was accepting him with _open arms_.

 _There had to back a catch._ If he had learned anything from his past experiences, nothing happy is ever given without pain, and he was sure more pain was to come.

He picked up the Targaryen sigil that was placed beneath his pillow. He’d found it amongst the ruins of Kings Landing, and had kept it with him ever since.

To keep a piece of her close to him, to remind him why he was here, to make him remember this would all be worth it in the end.

His thumb stroked over the Dragon heads, as he looked through the window to the whites of the snow filled sky.

_I’m coming Dany._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been awhile. I've been on holiday! Do y'all think Dany is really going to be okay seeing him again?  
> Next chapter, we touch base with GW and the Unsullied & Jon, Davos & Ghost.  
> And a little bit of Dany towards the end :)  
> Leave thoughts below :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooops forgot to add the translations for y'all - sorry!  
> Qoy qoyi - Blood of my blood  
> Kirimvose - Thank you  
> Skoros morghot vestri - What do we say to the god of death?  
> Tubī daor - Not today

It had been three weeks since the Raven had delivered Kinvara's plea to Jon. Three weeks of travelling, and assuring an unconvinced Davos that everything would be fine when they eventually arrived. 

"Jon- Your being naive. You- you  _killed_  her" Davos said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his eyes on the road ahead and not at the man beside him, to blinded by hope to see the truth.

Jon swallowed thickly, Davos's words a bitter reminder of what he did.

_He killed her._

"But I did it to _save_ her" Jon reasoned, an annoyed breath surpassing his dried-out lips.

"Jon, I know you  _think_  you did it for the right reasons. But you still killed her nonetheless. You stuck a knife through her heart and watched her bleed out. You  _betrayed_  her" Davos muttered firmly, Jon's horse grinding to an abrupt halt in the process.

"You think I betrayed her?" Jon asked, voice strained as he looked at Davos with pained eyes.

Davos nodded apprehensively, sad eyes drifting to the sky and then back down to Jon. 

"I know you did it because you  _thought_  it was right, and I know you  _think_ \- you  _believe_ more than anything that you'll see her and she'll welcome you with open arms. But the bottom line is Jon, there _could_ have been another way- fuck’ it a  _thousand_  other ways, but you went ahead and chose the one that would hurt her _and_ yourself the most". 

Jon's lips parted, mouth open ajar, Davos's findings unearthing a view that had never even crossed Jon's preoccupied mind. He looked across at Davos, horror etched into a frown of realisation, fear buried deep in his downcast eyes. 

"I- Davos I" Jon became rattled, Ghost sensing his unease as he lifted his head upwards towards Jon, watching him cautiously.

" _I love her_ " The phrase fell off his tongue with ease, because he meant it, he loved her.

"But you killed her anyway" Davos replied, the clear confliction in his hoarse voice showing he took no pleasure in telling Jon the truth.

"I know you meant well Jon, and I hope- for your sake more than mine that she _does_ forgive you. Because if she doesn’t, you'll wish you put that dagger through your own heart. I'm just trying to make you see Jon, this isn't black and white, good and bad. This was about you _and_ her. And you chose to kill her to bring her back and have her what exactly?” Davos paused, trying his best to go easy on the naïve man beside him.

“Are you going to have her live in the middle of nowhere, with no army? Have no purpose than to keep the man who stabbed her company... Jon, I'll stick by you always. But this _won't_ be easy boy. It won’t be a fairy-tale" Davos turned his head reluctantly back to the trail infront of them, the sides of his legs nudging his horse onwards as a means of cutting the conversation short.

Jon didn't move at first, still processing Davos's warning, he gripped tightly onto the Targaryen Sigil hooked onto his fur cape, closing his eyes quickly to pray.

If she didn't forgive him now, he hoped more than anything that one day she would. He kicked his horse’s side gently, as Ghost paced ahead of him, glancing back every so often to see if Jon was okay. 

* * *

When Grey Worm stepped on to the long bridge of Volantis, and let the nearby sea air fill his lungs, he felt it.

He felt the undeniable presence of _his_ Queen.

He wasn't sure if it was just his clear ignorance to imagining a world without her in it. Or his blind refusal to believe that Daenerys was dead that made him sail for weeks here.

Or if it was because he wanted to be as far away from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms as he could, as far away from the place that killed the only woman he’d ever loved.

But he was there nevertheless and he wouldn't leave until he knew what had happened to his Queen.

He took a handful of soldiers with him into the city, instructing the rest to wait on the shore and wait for his return. They marched through the city with batted breath, looking for any indication that their Queen was here, alive  _or_  dead.

Above ground at Kinvara's temple Daenerys looked out across the land that stretched for endless amounts of miles, the mid day sun blinding in the far distance. She outstretched her hand, covering the glare from the sun to get a better, clearer view of the village below. 

She did it often, watched from afar the people of the local village go about their day to day lives. Wondering what she'd do now, after she had healed fully.

Where would she go?

Could she stay here in Volantis forever, Drogon and Kinvara by her side, watching the free slaves live freely and thankful for the Queen she once was, _that she still is._

She wondered if The Unsullied and The Dothraki were okay, wondered if they'd destroyed the Seven Kingdoms in the wake of her death and slaughtered all who were left in the name of their Queen.

She thought painfully, if the Targaryen banner still hung from what was left of the throne room.

 What was left of Kings Landing. 

She thought about Kings Landing a lot, and what she did the day she took it back. It kept her awake most nights, more so than the scar across her chest.

Thoughts, _painful_ thoughts consumed her whole body at times. She'd stand frozen to her very core, hearing the bells of surrender ringing through her head, and she felt it.

The same anger she had felt in that _moment_ , in that _split-second_ moment where she thought of Missandei's headless body falling from the tower. How she hadn't been shown _mercy_ , how her _child_ had been shot out of the sky, how _Jorah_ had been slain, fighting desperately to save her. How her family were executed, betrayed by the people who had sworn oaths to serve them.

She knew of war, and she knew of the causalities innocent _or_ not that war brings. Was she terrible for showing no mercy? Maybe.

But she had never been shown an ounce of mercy in her life, and it hurt. Perched on Drogon’s back, looking down at the smoke-filled landscape, all she saw was red, fire and blood.

All she felt was pain, anger, hurt, but most of all loneliness.

She was alone and confused and she knew she couldn't win the peoples love there, even _after_ saving them from a tyrant.

So, she lashed out, she used her power, her Dragon, her armies and she took back control with fire and blood.

_Just like her ancestors had done once before._

And just like her ancestors, she’d restore humanities faith in the Targaryen’s. Showing them that she was good and kind. A leader, a Queen who knew what was right, and punished those who tarnished her good new world with their poisonous atrocities.

Daenerys knew with every fibre of her being when she delivered that speech to her followers, that she would _rebuild_ the world, and as promised it would be _better_.

There would be no wheel, no upper and lower. And she knew, her split-second decision based on anger and pain would have been worth it – eventually.

The world she would rebuild would be happy, joyous, the people of Kings Landing remembering her as the breaker of chains, the breaker of the wheel, their _saviour._

_Their rightful Queen._

With Jon by her side to keep her on the straight and narrow, to ease her pain when things became too much, to guide her when needed.

To _love_ her, to be _with_ her, _rule_ with her.

He would be there, and it would be worth it all.

But that wasn’t to be anymore.

She didn’t have her throne, her Seven Kingdoms, she had nothing but the clothes upon her back and Drogon.

Daenerys stared down below at the people of the village, imagining them as the people of Kings Landing; peaceful, and at ease with life. Her eyes ran circles around the market, often finding it endearing to watch them silently go about their day to day life.

But her body stilled; she'd seen something that she couldn’t quite believe.

"My Queen-" Kinvara appeared on the balcony, but she stopped talking when she noticed Daenerys looking down below with a disbelieving frown.

"It can't be" Dany whispered, shaking her head in denial.

Kinvara approached her, standing beside Daenerys, following her stare to what had rattled her Queen so badly.

"Grey Worm" A cry of desperation left Dany's lips as she backed away from the balcony, eyes meeting Kinvara’s quickly, before she ran inside.

Kinvara tried to keep up with the young Queen, but Dany; overcome with too many emotions to comprehend, was leaps and bounds ahead of her. 

Daenerys ran, a look of determination on her face, as she ran clumsy down the flights of stairs at the temple’s entrance.

Her coat kept getting caught under her feet, huffing, she bunched it tightly in her hands, grabbing the long fabric and hoisting it up.

She ran, and she ran, surprising herself at her level of endurance. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt like this; nervous, happy, relieved _, loved._

Her heart was hammering so loudly against her chest she wondered if others around her could hear it to.

She saw Grey Worm's figure towering above the other villagers and eventually the Villagers began to part to the side, noticing the small group of Unsullied as they charged through the middle of the market stalls.

Daenerys’s view now clear as day as she stopped, panting heavily. She looked on; brows wrinkled at the men stood before her.

Grey Worms eyes were heavy as they scanned through the groups of villagers, his Queen wasn't amongst them and his usual frown deepened in disappointment.

But then he saw her.

Like a beacon of light amongst the masses.

There she stood.

His Queen,  _alive and breathing._

His face instantly softened, a fondness glimmering in his eyes that he'd only ever expressed for Missandei or Daenerys, words seemingly getting stuck within his tightening throat.

He wasn't sure what to do, so he walked out of formation, feet stepping hastily infront of one another as he followed the path towards her.

Daenerys forgot the people around her, running carelessly towards Grey Worm, her newly formed smile growing brighter, relief filling every inch of her body.

She ran to him, her hair loosening from her braid, but she didn't care, her friend was here,  _he'd come for her_ _._

She didn't slow down the way Grey Worm had anticipated she would as she got within touching distance of him, jumping enthusiastically into his arms.

Wrapping them so tightly around his neck that he could feel her heart hammering aggressively through her chest.

A sigh of relief left her beaming lips, "You’re really here" She whispered into the crook of his neck, the feeling of his armour against her bare skin confirming so.

Grey Worm, still taken aback by his Queens gesture, gently rested his arms across the small of her back, "My Queen" He muttered, nudging her slightly so that she pulled back, putting space between them.

He looked at her, smiling with relief that she was alive and well.

Her eyes began to tear up as she grabbed his hand bringing to her chest "Thank you" She cried, “Thank you for coming for me- for not leaving me behind”.

Grey Worm swallowed thickly, frowning slightly as he shook his head. He was her Commander of War; he needed no thanks.

“We sailed and sailed, I hoped you were alive. I was right to believe you were, my Queen”.

Dany smiled, nervous eyes glancing to the floor “Walk with me” She asked softly.

Grey Worm obliged, stepping beside his Queen as she walked him through the village.

"Jon Snow killed you" Grey Worm muttered, not quite understanding the significance of his choice of words.

She tried to cover up the pained expression that appeared on her face at the mention of Jon, but she didn't prepare for the small cry that rose from her chest.

"My Queen" Grey Worm said thickly, resting a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"I am sorry. I should never have left you alone" His eyes downcast.

Dany softened, seeing the weight of guilt pushing him down, "You do not need to apologise, you were not the one to push that dagger through my heart.  _He_ _was_ " She said it calmly, a gentle urgency in her voice to assure him that she didn't blame him.

Grey Worm nodded, although Dany got the feeling, he hadn’t forgiven himself just yet.

"He said he loved you" Grey Worm muttered, saying the words unsurely. "He said he killed you, to save you".

Grey Worm didn’t understand how you could kill the person you love; he had loved Missandei and he still did. He would  _never_ have killed her, no matter what was at stake.

Dany nodded slowly, "So I've heard… J- _He_ will be arriving soon".

She couldn’t bring herself to say his name, not yet.

Grey Worm pulled away from her hand, stopping briskly in his tracks, looking down at his Queen with alarm.

"Why, why is he coming here?" He asked tensely.

"He was invited" Dany said, looking away nervously.

She knew Grey Worm was right to be alarmed, as she herself was.

But Kinvara had already sent the Raven, and she couldn’t take it back. Jon knew she was alive and well, and she couldn’t hide forever.

He’d find her, one way or another.

Grey Worm escorted Daenerys back to the temple, a small smile tugging at his lips as his eyes landed on a sleepy Drogon.

“You must come in, rest” Daenerys told him, gesturing for him to follow her inside, an unspoken awkwardness now between them at the mention of Jon’s impending arrival.

“My Queen, the rest of us are aboard the ships. I need to tell them you’re alive” Grey Worm informed her, straightening his back as he prepared the journey back to the shore.

“No need” Dany eased, approaching Drogon. “I’ll show them” Her confident hands rubbing down Drogon’s neck as she mounted him.

Grey Worm watched on, as Drogon’s wings expanded, the beast and his Queen taking off, leaving behind an awestruck solider and several villagers.

He swallowed, heart heavy as he thought of Missandei when his eyes landed on Daenerys's braid, as it blew fiercely in the wind. Grey Worm continued to watch, until his vision became nothing but a blurry, watery mess.

He disappeared inside the temple, hoping to find somewhere he wouldn’t be disturbed.

Daenerys embraced the wind that swept through her hair, that filled her tender lungs. Her eyes looked on wide and bright as Drogon flew towards her fleet of ships.

Her eyes wide, brimming with tears of joy as she saw the Targaryen banners blowing in the wind.

_They’d all come for her._

Her heart swelled, deep within the pit of her stomach she felt it. Felt the appreciation for her army that stood below her.

She felt the need, the desperate need to do them proud. To show them, they were right to sail across the see again for her.

She would give them every last ounce of her, she would make them proud to call her their Queen.

She laughed, an elated, carefree laugh that came from the depths of her stomach, that she hadn’t done in a long time.

She felt free, like never before. Upon Drogon’s back is where she belonged, more so now than ever before.

But then she frowned absentmindedly, remembering how unhappy she’d been before she died. Not remembering the last time she’d laughed like that, or felt this happy.

But then she faltered, a vision of Jon smiling at her, a lump forming in her throat. She shook the image loose, blinking harshly until her vision focused back onto her army.

Drogon landed just short of the first ship, he stood protectively behind his Mother as she slid down his side.

She walked, feeling the weight of it all hit her at once. She clasped her shaky hands infront of her, smiling from ear to ear at the thousands of men who had gathered at the front of the ships.

They began stamping their feet, the jeering of the Dothraki drowning out the sound of the waves crashing against the stationed ships.

 _“Qoy qoyi”_ Daenerys shouted; voice thick of emotion as she addressed them.

They stamped again, the Unsullied’s spears hitting the floor of the ships with such force Daenerys feared they’d break through it.

 _“_ _Kirimvose_  “Tears began to gather in the corner of her eyes, she took a second to control herself before raising her arm steadily towards Drogon.

 _“_ _Skoros morghot vestri_  ? _” S_ he shouted desperately from her lungs, eyes searching through the thousands of soldiers beginning to now line the shore.

 _“_ _Tubī daor”_ They chanted fiercely, continuing to chant as she walked back towards Drogon, chanting _still_ when she mounted him again.

Their chants were heard from the sky as she flew back towards the temple, her tiny hands gripping Drogon more needily than ever before.

There was a look in her eyes, fleeting it may have been but it was there.

_Daenerys Targaryen was back, and she wanted to let the whole world know._

* * *

Jon dismounted his horse, looking eerily around the deserted village. It was night fall, Davos’s prediction of arriving during the day undoubtedly wrong. 

Jon let out an exaggerated sigh of defeat, here they were, sneaking conspicuously through the town trying to find the temple blindly in the dark.

Ghost ran ahead of them, the Direwolf sniffing every so often at the variety of new smells that tried to gnaw away at his attention.

He eventually disappeared out of Jon’s worrisome view, Jon’s pace quickened as he tried to keep up with Ghost, fearing he’d found something, or _someone_.

Jon stood in what he assumed was the middle of the town, turning around in circles, eyes glancing one way then another as he tried to get his bearings.

He turned behind him, to ask Davos where they should start; but Davos was no where to be found.

Jon gulped, senses tingling as a wave of dread washed over him. He saw the fleeting shadow rush behind him, but he didn’t bother to fight it as they shoved a bag over his head.

He knew it was the Unsullied, their armour clinking distinctively with each step they took.

He wasn’t worried for himself, more so for Ghost. He feared how Ghost would react to people trying to ambush him, he hoped Ghost was okay. He hoped the soldiers were smart enough, to leave his companion be.

But Jon had underestimated Ghost, the four legged being sensing Jon was in trouble, he pulled away from the sacks of food he had found, crying out for Jon.

Jon closed his eyes, begging for Ghost to quiet himself, he couldn’t lose him.

Not now.

But then he felt him, brush against the side of his leg, the soldiers grip of Jon loosening as Ghost bared his teeth.

They began arguing, their words to rushed for Jon to understand, He managed to catch the last words, _kill the dog._

“No” Jon pleaded, fighting against their grasp on his upper arms. “Please. He won’t hurt you- as- as long as you don’t hurt me” He shouted, trying to be the voice of reason.

The soldiers shoved Jon forward, still bickering as Ghost snarled at them again.

He heard other footsteps vastly approaching him, he shouted out again, louder than before out for them to not harm Ghost.

“ _Leave him_ ” A voice ordered.

The mumbling around him stopped, silence filling the cold nights air.

It was her; it was her voice.

Jon began to pant, the hood still covering his face as he twitched his hand, Ghost licking it urgently.

He tried to steady himself, but it was no use. He struggled with the hood, the material scratching away at his cheeks as he swung his head from side to side.

At last, it was pulled off forcefully and the air around Jon became thick.

There she was, standing before him.

His lips broke out into a hesitant smile, still unsure of how this would all play out.

He took an automatic step towards her, but the guards he’d forgotten all about beside him yanked him back, dropping him to his knees quickly.

He looked up, eyes daring to stare at the woman before him as she whispered discreetly into Grey Worms ear. The commander nodded, before ushering his guards away.

Ghost bared his teeth, growling as he stood protectively infront of Jon.

Grey Worm glanced back to Daenerys, waiting for her nod of approval before speaking.

“Jon Snow. You are now the prisoner of the Queen. You are to be locked away until your meeting with her tomorrow at Sunrise” Grey Worm muttered.

Jon sighed, not bothering to fight it, Davos had warned him after all.

“Ghost will come with me” Jon replied, eyes challenging Grey Worms unsure ones.

Grey Worm looked back to Daenerys again, seeking her order, she nodded subtly eyes still not looking at Jon.

Jon let out a sigh of relief, hand reaching out to fuss Ghosts head fondly.

Grey Worm pulled Jon to his feet, paying no care to be gentle with him as he marched him up the stairs into the temple.

Jon pulled back, turning his body to face Daenerys, who had not yet acknowledged him herself.

“Where’s Davos? Where is he?” Jon asked, licking his lips nervously as he waited.

“He is also a prisoner of the Queen- he is _not_ your concern” Grey Worm muttered, pushing Jon forward through the entrance of the temple until Daenerys still body was out of sight.

Daenerys followed suit, a group of twelve soldiers surrounding her until she reached her quarters.

She opened her door, Davos bounded to a chair infront of the fireplace.

“Sorry” She frowned, removing the gag quickly from his lips.

“No need your grace” Davos muttered, “I had a feeling it wouldn’t be a warm welcome”.

His honestly took Daenerys back, as she dragged a chair infront of him, taking a seat.

“Ser Davos, tell me. Did you know Jon was plotting to kill me?”.

Davos’s eye twitched, and Dany knew she’d asked him an unfair question; he was loyal to Jon after all.

“Well?” She pressed, eyes firmly on his.

Davos sighed, scratching his chin roughly “Look. What Jon did- it was what he thought was right your Grace. Do I agree with it? No. Not at all” He shook his head.

“But he did it. Sitting here, interrogating me, interrogating _him_ \- it won’t change the past. All you can do, is kill us- or set us free. But I must warn you, your Grace. He loves you- truly he does. So be mindful how you treat this situation, I wouldn’t want you to make a mistake that will haunt you for the rest of your life”.

Dany listened, eyes softening slightly at Davos words “Do you think he regrets it?”.

“Yes, your Grace. I believe he does” Davos admitted, before taking a sip of Whiskey that Daenerys had left for him on the side.

“Goodnight Ser Davos. Thank you for your honesty- I’m sorry we aren’t meeting on better terms” Daenerys lips twitching sadly, before leaving the room.

She nodded curtly at the guards outside, “Do not let anyone leave or enter this room until I say so” She muttered firmly.

The soldiers nodded, backs straitening against the wall as their Queen departed the corridor.

Jon struggled to settle, the lack of information on where Davos was eating away at his very soul. He felt hopeless, had he really made one of his oldest friends travel for weeks on end, to ultimately lead him to his death.

The thought pained Jon enough inside that Ghost curled up in his lap, something he hadn’t really done since he was a pup.

He stroked his back absentmindedly, thoughts elsewhere as he stared out the only window in the small room he was confined to.

He hoped tomorrow would be better, hoped he would be able to speak to Dany directly and help her understand why he did what he did, even if it meant nothing in the long run.

He wondered if she’d ever look at him again, ever say his name, ever _touch_ him. Tears fell from Jon’s tired eyes realising now that it was far too late, that his decision to kill her was the wrong choice.

He hadn’t saved her at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Leave them below!  
> Next chapter is coming later on today!


	5. Chapter 5

The sun shone through the window; its haze hot on Jon's cheeks as he stirred from his sleep. Ghost yawned, dropping his head back down onto Jon’s lap, looking at him strangely.

Jon didn’t get a chance to stretch, or wake himself up as Grey Worm burst through his cell door, his hands lifting Jon up with force by his arm pits.

“Move” Grey Worm muttered bitterly nudging Jon out of the cell. Jon cast a glance back to Ghost as he paced around the cell.

“I’ll be back” He whispered more for his Direwolf's benefit than his own.

Grey Worm led Jon silently through the temple, until he stopped outside a large wooden door.

Grey Worm knocked, only opening the door when he heard Daenerys’s faint voice say “Enter”.

He ushered Jon inside the room, Jon’s eyes fleeting around it trying to figure out the faces of the bodies scattered across the room.

Most of them were Unsullied and Dothraki, the Red Priestess who he figured was Kinvara stood tall beside Daenerys.

Jon inhaled, the smell of rich whiskey irritating his nose; he’d never liked it.

“Davos” Jon’s voice barely above a whisper as he followed the scent of alcohol, relieved eyes landing on his friend.

“Daenerys of House Targaryen, the _rightful_ Queen of the Seven Kingdoms has called Jon Snow forward for a meeting” Kinvara spoke confidently, her untrusting eyes resting on the man she’d heard so much, _yet_ so little about.

 Kinvara bowed her head towards her Queen, before stepping back behind her, Grey Worm on the other side of Dany; his glare unwavering on Jon’s lonesome body.

“Dany” Jon whispered, voice almost getting swallowed by the sound of the wind whistling outside.

But Daenerys heard it, the subtle quiver of her lips giving her away.

Kinvara, outraged at Jon’s way of addressing their Queen stepped forward “She is _your_ Queen” She frowned bitterly, before Daenerys reached out, pulling her back gently with her hand.

“Its alright” Daenerys whispered, Kinvara exhaled deeply in defeat, before leaving her Queens side once more.

Daenerys took a moment, building up the courage to look at the man she so desperately loved.

Jon had kept his eyes heavily on her since the second he entered the room. Not deterred, or threatened by the several sets of stone eyes warning him to look away.

He waited, with a heavy heart for the woman he loved to looked at him.

And then their eyes finally meet one another’s, and suddenly everything around them disappeared.

 _He killed me_  Dany's heart rate began to increase.

 _I killed her_  Jon's breathes became shorter and more intense.

 _He betrayed me_  the corner of her eyes beginning to sting at the newly forming tears.

 _I betrayed her_  Jon throat tightened as he looked into the cold but broken eyes of the woman he loved.

Neither one of them moved, both to untrusting to make the first and biggest step. 

Dany's eyes implicated by tears now plaguing her lash line, but she prevented herself from letting a tear slide.

She couldn’t cry for him, not now, not _ever._

She was the first to break contact, the first one to move as she stepped out of line from inbetween the safety of Grey Worm and Kinvara.

"Leave us" Her unsteady whisper magnifying around the room; she closed her eyes for a second, squeezing them tightly together.

Hoping rather naively when she opened them, she'd wake up from this dream, this callus nightmare and she'd be alright.

Kinvara followed Daenerys's order without question, bowing her head discreetly towards her Queen before exiting. Grey Worm however didn't move, his eyes didn't look across to her, they were still planted firmly on Jon. 

Daenerys gulped, not wanting to cause a scene, she approached Grey Worm whispering tentatively to him, "Please".

She urged him, hand coaxing his arm towards the door. "I will be fine, I _promise_ ".

Grey Worm reluctantly nodded his head, "Okay" He muttered, before slowly exiting the room, confliction evident in each of his unsteady steps.

They were finally alone, and although Jon was happy to see her, he had a feeling Dany wasn't so, and now he wished that the others hadn't left.

The air around them felt thick, the room felt bigger now that they were alone. The two of them still standing in their original spots, miles apart from one another.

As they stood in the dark cobbled room, Jon couldn't help but think back to when they first met, when they first crossed paths.

He didn't know her, and she didn't know him. 

Jon felt more nervous now, than he did first time round. Because he knew her now, and he knew how he'd _hurt_ her. At their first meeting, they were two strangers, who'd been dealt the same unfortunate cards from their very first breaths.

They had done things they weren’t always proud of, lost people along the way. They each had their faults, yet people gravitated to them, and _only_ them in ways that others could only dream of achieving.

This time around though, Dany's heart was broken by the man standing across from her. This time the pain they shared was _his_ fault, it was _his_ hands, _his_ blade that had been the one to cause it.

This time, the past pain that they had bonded over before, now separated them. Because this pain was caused by one, and the other was left to deal with the consequences. This time, Jon couldn't feel more worlds apart from Dany and her unwavering will to not look at him.

Jon gulped, taking a steady breath before plucking up the courage to make the first move "Dany... I'm so sor-".

She laughed callously, making him pause, eyes watching her steadily. 

"Don't say it" She muttered; tone much angrier than her face showed.

Jon's eyes flickered from the floor to her still body. "I mean it. I _am_ " He repeated, determined to make her believe it.

She snorted that time, and Jon felt cold, colder than he'd ever felt in his life. This wasn't her, this wasn't Dany, the woman he loved.

"How are you?" He asked tentatively, a small smile tugging at his rugged lips, trying to maintain his spiralling hope.

Her right brow arched upwards, eyes studying him deeply. "What do you think?" She snapped, taking a firm step towards him.

Jon looked at the floor again, a cowardly feeling nibbling away at his insides. He cleared his throat, bringing his eyes back up to look at her.

"I'm sorry" He said again. 

"Is that it... Your _sorry_?" She spat, her tiny hands clenching into fists.

Jon watched on silently as she walked slowly down the few steps between them. She was putting a brave face on; he could read her like a book.

Her arms were defiantly placed infront of her chest, like an armour. Her jaw was tense, probably to stop her bottom lip trembling the way that Jon’s was.

She stopped moving once Jon was in touching distance, her gaze heavy on his.

"Why" She asked dryly after a second, "Why did you do it?". 

It was a question that had gnawed away at her ever since she had awoken from death. 

Jon’s words got caught in his throat, “I- I" He stuttered, unable to steady his voice the way he had hoped to. "I did it to save you".

 He looked hesitantly into her eyes, noticing the pain itching desperately to be released as her eyes began to glass over. 

She smiled sarcastically, brows arched, “To save me?". 

"No-  _No_. You weren't trying to _save_  me; you were trying to _save_ everybody else" Her voice grew louder and Jon felt his insides burning in guilt.

"Is that what I deserved? After _everything_ I did for the North, for you, for  _us_ " Her lips trembling angrily. 

"I did everything, I l _ost_  everything and you didn't care" She cried out, despair swallowing her soft features.

She wiped her tears away with a harsh swipe of her hand, sniffing as she continued "I put my trust in you, a _stranger_ ”. 

Her careful choice of wording struck Jon’s core, he gulped, remembering guiltily how he’d used that phrase with her all those months ago. It hurt like hell, that after everything; this is what was left of them.

“I gave you  _my_  army,  _my_  dragons,  _my_  people and you took and you took-" Dany's voice cracked and she took a breath to compose herself the best she could, because she needed to say this.

Her tears short and fleeting, willing herself to be strong.

"I _loved_ you, more than anything in this world. It was meant to be you, me- us" Her voice grew smaller, and each word cut deeper into Jon's skin.

But he didn't speak, he knew he needed to hear this, hear what he'd done to the woman he loved.

"When you told me who you were, who you _really_ are. At first, I'll admit I was unsure... I- I was scared. Scared how it would change things. What people would say. I’d spent so long proving to people why I should be Queen and- “She sighed heavily, readjusting the grip of her hands on her arms.

“But it didn't change how I felt about you, if anything- it- it made me love you more" Her eyes glancing to the floor not wanting to look at him as she said it.

Jon felt sick, knowing how he'd pushed her away. He didn’t realise at the time, he thought he was protecting her, to foolish to stop for a second and actually ask her how she felt. 

"You pushed me away Jon- all I wanted, all I  _needed_  was a simple sign, a kiss, a hug, a look... anything to know that you still _loved_ me" Her voice was thick with emotion, with hurt and pain and everything in between.

”I know” He muttered voice hoarse “I failed you Dany. How I acted... it wasn’t right”. 

"You didn't care, you shut me out. But then you needed me and _my_ army and _my_ Dragons and so I fought your war, a war I _didn't_ have to be a part of but I did it anyway because I  _loved_ you" Dany’s voice grew smaller, losing its heat. 

It hurt to say it, say how much she loved him, how desperate she once was for it to be reciprocated.

"And you allowed your people to tear me and my people down, you allowed your sister- your _spiteful,_ _ignorant_ sister to spread her gossip of who you are. Even though I asked you- I _begged_ you not to. Because I knew, I knew how it would destroy the very foundations that I'd spent years building".

The feelings she'd mistakenly bottled up for the past few weeks came tumbling out of her mouth. Jon was caught off guard, never understanding until now how stupid his plan had been.

How little he must of thought of her and her power, to think his sisters or Tyrion were even worth a fight to her.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, I'm sorry for protecting my family even though they didn't deserve it. I'm sorry for betraying your trust-".

Dany flinched at his words, sorry not having the meaning it used to.

“You didn’t trust me enough to tell me Jon” The pain in her chest easing gradually.

“You didn’t trust me enough to tell me what people were plotting behind my back. Instead you betrayed me, killing me on the _idea_ that Drogon would fly me here, Sansa's plan worked, my own adviser trying to poison me as I  _grieved_ yet again for the loss of my best friend _and_ my child. But where were you? Anywhere, _somewhere_ other than being there to comfort me" She swallowed painfully, her scar burning like never before.

“You didn’t tell me because you didn’t trust me. It’s true isn’t it? You thought I’d burn your family down where they stood?” She asked him forwardly, although it didn’t feel like it was a question. 

Jon remained silent, conflicting thoughts replaying in his head. 

“But I wouldn’t have. I would have been a Queen. I would have asked your advice, ask you what _I_ should do. Even after everything, because I trusted you most. You see, as angry as I would of been I would _never_ have wanted to drive a wedge between us, hurting your family- it would of destroyed you and then _us_. And I wouldn’t of let that happen, but in the end it was _your_ hand, _your_ dagger, _your_ idea based entirely off a whim that drove a wedge between us. It runs deeper than the blade you left in my heart” She emphasised on her last word, hands fumbling with her coat.

Jon’s breath caught in his throat, tears brimming his weary eyes as he shook his head “Dany” he whispered, her name falling off his lips delicately. 

"Dany, I didn’t realising I was pushing you away. I- I didn’t think. What I did, it was wrong, and I _know_ it's too late- but I mean it when I say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it, and if I could take it back, _I would_. In a heartbeat. But what I did- I did it to save you. Tyrion he- he was plotting, he wanted to kill you. Sansa, Ayra- they didn't want you to rule so I-".

”You were scared of me, weren’t you?” Daenerys asked, holding her breath. 

Jon frowned, “No- I wasn’t”. 

“Yes, yes you were” She countered, voice confident. “You were so scared of me, that you couldn’t bring yourself to tell me to my face what was happening behind my back”. 

Her eyes closed, she was dancing on the brink of heartbreak and yet he still continued to lie to her.

”I wasn’t scared of you- I... I was scared of what you’d do. After Kings Landing. I panicked. But I didn’t stop loving you, I still believed in you Dany” He tried to reason with her, but she wouldn’t listen. 

"You believed in me, yet you did this?" Dany whispered limply, pulling her coat apart to reveal her bare chest.

The reddened swirl against her milky skin standing out predominantly.

Jon turned away; he wouldn't look; he couldn't. He felt a wave of nausea sweep over him; he couldn’t breathe. His throat so tight, it felt like an imaginary noose was hoisting him up.

But Dany was persistent, stepping close enough towards him to smell his familiar scent, she grabbed quickly for his hand.

" _Look at it_ " Dany whispered, pleading with him to look at what he’d done.

Jon shook his head refusing to see the everlasting mark he’d left on her. His watery eyes still fixated on the floor, ignoring her plea as he pulled his hand away for her grip.

But Dany wouldn’t let it go, grabbing his chin forcefully so that he faced her.

He tried not to focus to much on her hand, how it brushed against his thin beard. His eyes didn’t dare stare at her chest, instead he looked into her eyes, as painful as it was; anything was better than facing what he’d done to her.

“Look, please” She whispered, breathing out with a desperate sigh.

Jon shook his head, “I can’t” He told her, brow furrowing in despair.

“You have to” She pleaded, turning his head downwards towards her chest.

Jon forced his eyes shut, closing them so tightly he began to see visions of colour dotting around inside his head.

And then he heard it, her silent but not silent enough whimper. Like second nature his eyes shot open, bringing a brisk hand to her cheek.

She didn’t push his hand away, instead she nestled into the warmth of his palm.

“Dany” Jon muttered, wiping the running tears away from her cheek with his thumb.

“I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. Please- please forgive me” He asked, clinging onto her cheek desperately as her eyes opened.

Dany shook her head sorrowfully, “I can’t- every time I think I can maybe- just maybe move past this. I feel it. The burning of the red skin, the puncture in my chest, in my heart. The one you put there” She pulled away from him, coat still hanging openly and Jon’s eyes landed upon her chest.

Jon heaved, his dam breaking as tears flooded his pale cheeks, “Oh god” He cried, sinking to his knees slowly. 

It was like his own chest, except she had only one scar; and then he stilled.

Finally coming to the realisation of how she felt.

He had been betrayed, stabbed by people he thought would never do such a thing.

He knew the betrayal, and he knew how it felt to carry that pain and fear with you every day.

Yet he went along and did that to her, regardless of his intentions good or bad, he had stuck a knife in her heart.

His lips parted, a sob leaving them as his body wracked with guilt shuddered.

Jon reached out to touch her again, but she recoiled, shaking her head steadily.

“I’m sorry- But I can’t. I can’t forgive you”.

She looked away, not trusting herself enough to stand by her decision if she continued to look at his broken body, hunched over on the floor.

“Grey Worm” She called, pulling her coat tightly over her chest.

Grey Worm appeared within seconds, “Yes, My Queen”.

“Take the prisoner away” She said, tone much calmer and collected than before. “We set sail tomorrow, make sure he’s on board. Davos to”.

Grey Worm nodded silently, before picking Jon’s body up from the floor. He frowned in concern, Daenerys’s puffy eyes an indicator that she had been crying.

He pushed Jon a little harder than before, but Jon didn’t seem to care, his vision to blurred by regretful tears.

"Am I your prisoner now?" Jon asked, battling the urge to call her by her name.

She ignored his question, looking down at her feet.

“I will see you tomorrow “Daenerys muttered tone cold and unwelcoming.

“We sail for Meeren”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos & thoughts below! Y'all it broke my heart writing this, Daenerys deserved fucking better PERIOD. I will never forgive D&D for their trash assed writing smh.  
> Anyways; I hope you liked this chapter. Their sailing for Meeren... does this mean Daario?? Hm, who knows.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning was a blur, Jon was awoken before the sun came up, Ghost walking closely beside him as he was escorted onto one of Daenerys’s ships.

The sea was pleasantly calm and Jon welcomed the sound of the rolling waves with open arms. Anything with better than his own silence that he had become accustomed to in his cell. 

The chains connecting his arms were taken off, and he rubbed at his wrists, trying to ease the numbing pain his shackles had caused. 

He was led down the main corridor, feeling a wave of déjà vu hit him as he passed the familiar door to Daenerys’s room. 

Heart skipping a beat childishly as he remembered their nights together, bodies entwined under the sheets. 

“Here” The Unsullied soldier muttered, stopping outside a door, Jon’s old room from when they had sailed to Winterfell.

His eyes softened as he entered the room, it clearly hadn’t been touched since the last time he’d been aboard the ship. 

Ghost jumped onto his bed, whining at Jon’s pained expression. 

It didn’t feel right anymore. 

Two guards were stationed outside his door, and he made no attempt to leave the comfort of his room.

He slipped his boots off, perching his body on top of the sheets. The ship rocked slightly, and Jon cast his eyes to the window. Volantis’s shoreline disappearing as they left the port. 

He hadn’t slept much the night before, Daenerys’s revelations playing on his mind. 

He must of drifted off eventually, because  the next thing he knew when he opened his eyes, was that he wasn’t alone. 

Daenerys sat at the small vanity unit on the other side of the room. She was brushing her hair, attention focused solely on herself. 

Not noticing Jon’s body stirring silently behind her. 

“Daenerys” He muttered unsurely. 

Was she real? 

Her hand stilled mid way through combing her hair, eyes looking at him through her reflection in the mirror. 

“Sorry- I hope I didn’t wake you” She frowned, placing the brush down gentle on the side. 

“No, it’s okay” Jon replied, sitting up. 

“I just came by to see if you were alright. I- I don’t want you to feel like I’m keeping you hostage. I was angry yesterday and I said things, things I shouldn’t have” She swept her hair from off her face, and Jon revelled at her beauty.

“But I still feel a certain way towards you. And I can’t say I’ll ever forgive you. What you did. It was unforgivable” she sighed, turning around to face him directly. 

It irked Jon, he knew he had done wrong, but she was acting like he was the only one at fault. 

“I’m not the only one to blame here” he replied flatly. 

Dany’s brows arched, body leaning forward “What?”. 

“What about me?” Jon questioned, tired of feeling like he was the bad guy. 

“My whole life- it was a lie. The people I thought were the most noble, honest people lied to me. I  _believed_  a lie, I  _lived_  a lie” Jon shouted, hands gesturing angrily at his sides. 

Daenerys face stilled, never hearing him shout so maliciously before. 

“I found out I was some prince- your  _nephew_ and the first words to leave your mouth were about you and the fucking iron throne” His eyes glanced to her bitterly. 

“So how about _me_ and how _I_ feel about it” He pressed. 

“Even now, _months_ after knowing. I still know nothing about my family-  our  _family_. It doesn’t feel real. But it is, and I never had the time to process it all. I _never_ got the chance to experience my new identity”. 

“We were at war” Dany responded, voice noticeably smaller than before. 

“I know... _I know_ ” Jon sympathised.

“I’m not blaming you for that. But I’m blaming you for not being there for me. I understand why you were scared, of course I do. But I was lost Daenerys. Everything I knew, everything I thought I was- was a lie” Jon croaked, running a flustered hand through his hair. 

Dany remained silent, biting her lip. She knew he was right. She hadn’t been there for him either. 

But she stubborn, still reeling from everything that had happened to apologise. 

“I told my family in good faith, I never promised to keep it a secret from them. And I’m sorry,  truly  _I_ am that Sansa betrayed my trust. I don’t forgive her for that. I don’t think I ever will. But you must understand, I had to tell them- their my family. It wasn’t  _my_ fault that they betrayed my trust” He reasoned, voice strained.

”You can’t keep blaming me for things  that were out of my control” He muttered disheartened. 

“Your right” Dany whispered, finally giving in and looking at him.

“Would you tell them now? Now you know what happens afterwards”. 

“I’m not sure” Jon admitted through a sigh. “Their still my family, but knowing Sansa’s gossip caused your downfall, caused your advisors to turn on you. Then no... I don’t think I would”. 

Daenerys nodded slowly, eyes staring at the Targaryen sigil pinned to his cloak. 

“I’m sorry Jon” She muttered at last. 

“My whole life has been about the throne, taking the seven kingdoms back- restoring my family name- all of it. I let it cloud my judgement. Making it a priority over your feelings and for that I am sorry”. 

“I don’t want you to say sorry” He replied thickly. 

Daenerys momentarily frowned, before Jon spoke up again. 

“Tell me, what was it like?”.

“What?” Daenerys asked. 

“What was it like to see Kings Landing burn?” Jon asked, eyes daring to look at her. 

Her body stilled, blinking slowly as she tried to comprehend his question. 

“I... it was  _war_ ” She muttered.

“Was it though?” Jon challenged. “Were the thousands of innocent people there looking for war? Or were they looking for a home. A place that was  _safe_ for them”.

“Cersei used them as bait” Daenerys snapped and Jon knew he’d hit a nerve. 

“And you took it” he replied back hastily.

“You killed thousands. And for what? You were going to rule over a kingdom without any people. You could of burned the Red Keep. Killing Cersei, sparing the lives of  _thousands_ ” Jon muttered. 

Daenerys closed her eyes, willing for Jon to stop. 

But he didn’t. 

“Do you remember the bells?” He asked, tone cold and unwavering. 

Daenerys sucked in a breath, not wanting to hear about what she did. She thought about it often enough. 

“You burned children alive. As I walked through the ruins of the buildings you were destroying, they were huddled together to try and find safety, men were trying to rape women. Is that the type of _ruler_ you wanted to be?”.

”You didn’t see what I saw that day. I thought you were different- but you were just one of the same”. 

Jon wanted to make her hurt, if only for a little while. He wanted her to see what she did was wrong. 

Not knowing that she already spent most nights lying awake. The screams of the innocent people plaguing her mind every time she closed her eyes.

She regretted it, more than anything. 

She didn’t tell him though, he deserved to get everything off his chest. She owed him that much. 

“I believed in you, I _never_ stopped. Everyone said you were mad that you weren’t capable of using your power without tipping the scales so far that there was no way back”. 

“I told them they were fools, that you were _my_ Queen and I believed you would do the right thing. And you did- for the most part. But not Kings Landing, what you did there. The destruction you caused it was-“. 

“Enough” Dany shouted sharply cutting him off, hands shaking violently at her sides as she struggled to control her breathing. 

“ _Please,_ enough” she whispered, closing her eyes in defeat.

“I can’t dwell on the past, no matter how much I wish I didn’t do it. I did. Nothing will change that. But I’m- I’m a  _good_ person” She muttered, Jon wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince; him or herself. 

“You aren’t” Jon replied, he didn’t mean it but he was so angry that he didn’t care what words spewed from his mouth. 

“Go” He asked her, gesturing towards the door. “I don’t want you here”.

She turned her face away, cheeks burning as though he’d slapped her. 

She swallowed tightly, eyes watering as she walked past him hastily. 

When the door slammed shut behind her, Jon let out a shaky breath, hand pinching the bridge of his nose. 

On the other side of door, Daenerys body lent against it, hand clutching her stomach as she let a shaky sob surpass her lips, tears falling freely down her face. 

He was right. She knew he was. She was stupid to think for one second that he still believed in her, her mind wondering if she even believed in herself anymore. 

* * *

Dany  tossed and turned that night, sighing deeply as she reluctantly pulled back the covers, wrapping her nightgown tightly around her waist.

She eventually found herself outside Jon’s room. She bit her lip nervously, knowing how much she’d regret this in the morning. 

But she knocked on his door regardless, she needed this. 

There was a delay, and Dany half talked herself into walking away while she still could.

But then he unlocked his door, door knob turning sharply as he opened it enough to only see half of his face. 

His eyes softened in surprise at seeing her standing there outside his door.

He hesitated, hand toying with the side of the door, before he pulled it open, stepping aside to let her in.

She perched on the edge of his messy bed, a faint smile ghosting her lips. He was always messy, even when having the room to himself. 

He lingered hesitantly by the door, Dany could feel his gaze heavy on her as she stared down at her lap, hands playing with a loose thread on the sleeve of her arm. 

Realising she wasn’t going to speak, Jon pulled his chair from under the vanity table, sitting cross legged on it; eyes glancing from her solemn face to her hands and back.

His eyes roamed over her unusually messy appearance and his heart twanged guiltily wondering if her tired eyes were a result of his words from earlier on. 

“Am I a monster?” Dany asked, not brave enough to look at him. 

Jon paused, before whispering “No... no your not”.

She looked up then, eyes overcast in fear, lips trembling “I am”.

She looked down at her lap again, tears dripping onto her nightgown. 

“Daenerys” Jon said thickly “You aren’t a monster”. 

She screwed her eyes tightly shut, biting the inside of her cheeks to contain the sobs preparing to leave her body. 

“You have done bad things. Things you can’t take back”.

Jon got up from his chair, sitting beside her. He kept his distance though, trying to respect her boundaries the best he could.

“ But I _know_ , if you could take them back that you would. We learn from our mistakes, so that we never commit them again” Jon muttered, eyes drifting to the tiny piece of skin that peeked through her night gown. 

She caught his gaze, knowing deep down what he was referring to. 

“I’m a monster Jon” She whispered, head turning to face his, but her eyes didn’t follow. 

“I killed people, thousands of innocent people- children- everything you said yesterday-“.

“I was angry yesterday” He reminded her. 

“But it was true Jon. It was all true. That person, who did all of those terrible things- it was me” She cried, fresh tears brimming in her bloodshot eyes again.

Jon’s hand reached out automatically to touch her, but he bought it back to rest on his knee.

“Daenerys, you have a second chance. You can’t take back what you did- but you can make it right. You can do good things, you aren’t a bad person. Just a lost one” Jon’s voice trying to sooth her. 

“When you asked me earlier if I heard them- the bells I mean. It’s true, I- I do. I hate what I did. I’ve been neglecting it for so long. Sometimes I feel nothing, it’s like I don’t even remember it happening. Then other times it comes flooding back, swallowing me, _drowning_ me and I-“ She sucked in a breath, worrisome eyes searching Jon’s. 

He stared back at her softly, “You’ll get there. One day, I don’t know when but you _will_ ” His voice filled with a familiar warmth. 

A warmth she hadn’t received for awhile, and she wondered if maybe one day she’d be worthy of it again. 

Worthy of love, worthy of all things good. 

Daenerys nodded, appreciating that even after their argument, he was still supportive of her “Thank you Jon” lips quivering into an unsure smile. 

“Sorry for intruding- I didn’t know who else to go to” She admitted sadly, before walking back towards the door.

“Daenerys” Jon called out, as her hand reached for the door knob. 

“I’m here- if you need me. I’m here” He told her meaningfully. 

He wasn’t there for her before, and he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. 

She bowed her head, face softening to a degree of appreciation. 

She left without another word, taking slow steps back to her chambers. 

When she eventually settled back into her bed sheets, she lay awake eyes staring up at the ceiling. 

Jon’s words ringing heavily in her ears.

_Your just lost._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I’ve had a little bit of criticism from the previous chapter for letting Dany have her say to Jon but not Jon express himself. And guys... there’s so many things going on between them, so many things have happened that these conversations will happen during different periods of time. I can assure you, they will have plenty of conversations and eventually will be on the road to not only forgiving themselves but eachother too. Stick with me. Leave thoughts below & don’t forget to like :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the love and the comments. I'm so glad it's got people talking - I love reading all your comments. PLEASE keep them coming. Another chapter written - be prepared for angst, a little lust and a tiny amount of jealousy.

Morning came around much more quickly that Daenerys had hoped. She had slept, if only for a short while before the vision of Dragon fire destroying the masses caused her eyes to shoot open, shaky breaths alight with panic as they escaped through her parted mouth.

Whenever it happened, her visions, it was like an out of body experience, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as droplets of sweat would line her pain riddled forehead, all whilst she was frozen to the spot.

 Even closing her eyes and trying desperately to think of something different couldn’t rid her mind of the thoughts that plagued her. 

She hated it, hated when her mind reminded her what she had done.

_But she hated herself more._

That wasn’t her, she knew deep down in her core she wasn’t that person, she wasn’t  _that_  Queen. 

She had clung onto the idea of the Iron Throne for so long, at times it was the only thing that had kept her going. But her grasp on it was so tight, so  _unshakeable_  that without guidance it swallowed her whole. 

It was the throne she wanted, she needed. Daenerys struggled to realise the magnitude of things going on around her, because all she saw was the throne. 

And she knew, or at least she  _hoped_  with all her heart that if Missandei and Rhaegal hadn’t been killed that she wouldn’t have commanded Drogon to burn the people, innocent  _or_  not below her. 

But there was a feeling niggling away at her core that told her she would of. Because she would do anything for the throne, anything to take back what was rightfully hers. To restore the rightful house banners that lined the castle, with her banners.

“ _No_!” Daenerys shouted in retaliation; hand clasped to her mouth to stifle the panic rising from her chest. 

She wouldn’t have, she  _couldn’t_  have. 

Grey Worm burst through her door, weapon at the ready in his firm hand. 

“My Queen- What it is?!” He asked, straightening his body, eyes darting from her messy hair to her blotchy face.

“I’m... I’m” Dany paused, not knowing what she was anymore. 

“ _Fine_ ” She gasped at last, giving Grey Worm a hesitant nod. 

He didn’t leave though, instead he walked forwardly over to her, stopping just short of her bed. 

“You are hurt” He muttered.

Dany nodded slowly, not sure if it was a question, or whether he was just politely pointing it out. 

“ _is it Jon Snow_?” Grey Worms tone differed at the mention of the man who had betrayed his Queen. 

Daenerys torn, parted her lips to reply but the look in Grey Worms eyes took her attention elsewhere. 

“What is it?” She asked steadily, brows moving as she frowned. 

“Your hair- it’s... _I miss her_ ” He said thickly, eyes glancing to the floor and away from her long silvery hair that cascaded in waves across her back.

Daenerys faltered, “I miss her too”. 

She reached out for Grey Worm's hand, taking it within her own. 

“She would be so happy, knowing you are the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms” Grey Worm nodded, eyes glassing over at the mention of his love. 

His words however fell flat in Daenerys's ears, because although Missandei’s last words had been  _Dracarys,_ Dany knew Missandei _never_ would have agreed to the burning of thousands of innocents.

And Daenrys was also sure her sigil was no longer hanging proudly in Kings Landing. 

 _Bran the Broken..._ she had to laugh.

“I- Tell me Grey Worm- how... how do you feel about me? After what I did?” Daenerys gulped, eyes trying to not waver from his.

“You are _my_ Queen; _I_ will follow _you_ wherever _you_ shall go. Whatever _you_ need, _I_ will bring. Whatever _you_ ask of _me_ , _I_ shall do” He proclaimed confidently.

Daenerys released a hopeless sigh, realising her Master of War whose loyalty to her was infinite was perhaps the  _wrong_  person to ask about her actions, justified or not. 

“Thank you” She whispered, hand returning to her lap. 

Grey Worm nodded silently, turning on his heel to leave her room. But he stopped midway, turning around quickly with a look of uncertainty in his eyes. 

“My Queen- your hair. May I?” He asked.

“My hair, you- you want to braid it?” Daenerys asked, mouth left open a jar in surprise. 

“Missandei, she showed me once, and I’d like to try- if I could” He asked her, biting the insides of his cheeks to stop them from shaking. 

Daenerys nodded, “Of course, come here” She patted the empty space on her bed, turning her body so that her back was to him. 

She felt his weight shift on the bed as he sat down, his shaky fingers threading through her wild curls. 

“It’s okay” she assured him, catching a glimpse of his fear filled eyes in the mirror.

Grey Worm quickly realised he’d bitten off more than he could chew, silently cursing Missandei for making it look so easy. He combed Daenerys’s hair through a few times, before gathering a small section of her hair from off the side of her face. 

His shaking hands began to thread the pieces of hair until what he believed was a braid began to form. 

He dropped the braid once he felt satisfied enough, and Daenerys turned to face him, frowning slightly as she felt the rest of her hair fanned out freely across her back. 

But then she caught her reflection in the mirror and she smiled, eyes filled with emotion as she turned to face him. 

 _“I love it”_  She whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder  _“and she’d love it to”._

He smiled, but it was strained, each time his eyes landed upon the braid he thought of Missandei and it hurt like hell. 

“I will get ready now, wait for me outside” She told him, slipping out of her night gown once he had left. 

She opened her closet, hands gracefully brushing against her summer dresses. She hadn’t worn them in so long, she wondered if she’d still fit into them as nicely as she did before.

She pulled out her ivory and blue dress, with a modest hole in the middle of it that once showed her taut stomach off.

She felt incredibly conscious, toying with the end of her braid in deep thought.

 _Do I look bigger in this,_  she wondered a heavy frown forming on her forrid.

She twirled around, the dress fanning out slightly as she did so. Her hand smoothed out the creases, and she took a breath to compose herself.

_She definitely wasn’t thinking about Jon, and what he would think._

_And she definitely wasn’t paranoid about his reaction, and if he’d prefer her this way._

Flowing dresses and long free hair.

She pulled it upwards sharply, to try and cover the pink flesh still prominent on her skin, trying to not let it discourage her choice of clothing.

It was still visible though, so she added a royal blue cape, adjusting it so that half of it covered the front of her body, and the other hung pleasantly off her back.

She sighed, figuring it would have to do for now until she had new dresses made.

She continued to stare at herself, eventually snapping herself out of it though, when she heard Drogon screech from above.

She nodded curtly to her reflection, before opening the door, Grey Worm following closely behind her as he escorted her out to the ships deck.

Daenerys left the ship first, crowds in their masses already beginning to gather on the shores of The Bay of Dragons. 

Her apprehensive eyes glancing back every so often to the door, waiting for Jon and Davos to appear. 

The crowds were cheering, it had been so long since she had been here, so _long_ since she had felt the love of the people. 

She heard footsteps coming from the ship, eyes staring at the opening until she saw a group of her soldiers, Jon tiny frame amongst them. 

But her eyes fell instantly to his hands, his _shackled_ hands and she felt sick.

She rushed over quickly, breaking her way through her soldiers before anyone in the crowd saw what they had done to Jon. 

“I’m _so_ sorry” She whispered frantically, as she pulled the restraints of Jon’s wrists. 

She held the chains in her hands, threatening eyes observing the group in front of her. 

“Who gave you this command?” She snapped urgently. 

The Unsullied's loyalty was to her first and foremost, and so one stepped forward quickly muttering Grey Worm’s name before getting back into formation. 

Daenerys closed her eyes,  _of course_  it was him. She looked to Jon again, noticing him staring intently at her loose hair and tiny braid that framed her face. 

She ducked her head, suddenly feeling very conscious.

“I’m sorry” She muttered again, placing a cool hand across his wrists. 

“It’s alright, they were only on from my room to here anyway” Jon’s lips twitching into a small smile. 

His eyes instantly drew to her, gaze never dropping, not just because she was infront of him releasing him of his shackles.

But because she looked different. 

She wore this ivory dress, with light blue detailing around the edges of the fabric, a cape richer in colour than anything he'd ever seen draped across her body half way. 

His breath for a second got caught in his throat, confused eyes gazing to others around him, wondering why nobody else seemed to stare at her the way he was. 

_Because she's their Queen you twat._

She looked gorgeous, not that she didn't normally but this dress.

It showed more of her body than any of her outfits she’d worn at Dragonstone or Winterfell. Jon was offended to some extent that he'd been denied the privilege of seeing her like this.

 _It’s the climate you idiot_  he scolded himself, lip twitching.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her, the way it clung to her small frame so effortlessly and her hair. 

She looked majestic, Goddess like. He knew it sounded cheesy, to think of her that way. 

_But she was._

He’d never seen this side to her and god he wished he’d seen it sooner. 

It was free, blowing in the wind in such a magnetising way, that his eyes just drank her in, selfishly wishing for more. 

He felt his dick constrict against his pants, as he licked his lips before eventually peeling his eyes away.

 _She isn’t a piece of meat_  Jon he chastised himself.

But god if she was, he’d devour her where she stood.

 _Stop Jon._  

He wanted to tell her, scream from his lungs that she was the most beautiful thing on this earth, and nothing could ever change that. 

But it wasn’t the time nor the place and he was half sure Grey Worm would probably throw him into the ocean when Daenerys wasn’t looking if he so much as looked at her the wrong way.

Let alone flirt with her.

Daenerys eventually turned back to the cheers of her name “Mysah, Mysah”. 

And she realised this is where she needed to be, this is where she’d find herself again. 

She thrust Jon’s broken chains upwards into the air, the cheering erupting into something that Jon had never seen before. 

Daenerys softened at her reception. She never had love like this in Westeros, the thousands of people cheering for her here, only strengthened her decision to stay there; in Meeren.

She was reminded of the goodness within herself, and she hoped it would heal her enough to move on from the war of Kings Landing.

Drogon flew overhead, Daenerys watched him proudly, smile tugging away at her lips as he screeched before disappearing over the mountains. 

_I'm glad to be back too._

She was the first to step foot on the shore, her hands now free of the chains as she walked amongst the people. 

They reached out for her, relieved to see their breaker of chains in all her glory, standing there amongst them. 

Jon was closely behind Daenerys, a cautious Grey Worm tasked with accompanying him through the crowds, Davos not far behind them. 

As a man of some age, Davos was stunned to silence as he witnessed these people gravitate towards Daenerys as she made her way through the crowds. 

He took a breath, trying to take it all in. Her reception was so different to that of Westeros and he finally began to understand why her soldiers were so loyal _to_ her, why they fought fiercely without question _for_ her. 

She had  _saved_  them,  _guided_  them,  _looked after_  them. She had freed the people of Slavers Bays, eventually having it renamed in her honour. 

She had liberated  _thousands_  of people and took away the slave master hierarchy that had plagued these lands for as long as Davos could remember. 

It was remarkable,  _she_  was remarkable. 

But he frowned slightly, eyes landing on the back of Daenerys’s hair, this wasn’t what they saw in Kings Landing, she had killed people just like the people she had saved who were swarming her with love. 

Slaves, common folk and all in between.

It wasn’t right, Davos knew above all else that Daenerys Targaryen had been a good person, and he hoped she could find that within herself again someday. 

Jon didn’t get chance to talk to Daenerys as they continued to walk through the crowds of people lining the streets to catch a glimpse of her. 

He wondered why she hadn’t ridden above on Drogon, why she hadn’t asserted her power the way she did in Westeros. 

She reached out to touch people, holding their hands, smiling tearfully as they continued to shout names that Jon couldn’t understand. 

They were about Dany of course, but Jon couldn’t quite grasp it, _any of it._  

They walked for what felt like miles, until a building came into view, one Jon had never cast eyes upon before. It was triangular in shape, the highest point getting lost just beyond the clouds.

There were steps up to its entrance, waiting there was a lone man. 

Jon’s brow furrowed, trying to understand who this man was.

_Was he the leader of this city?_

He was young, probably not much older than Jon. His brown hair swept back off his face and Jon found his eyes instantly landing on Daenerys’s approaching body. 

Daenerys took the first step, Jon went to follow but Grey Worm pulled him back, grip firm on his shoulder. 

Jon watched her silently, as she approached the man and he immediately felt this sense of dread fill his body.

The man looked at Daenerys like she was the very person who had put the stars in her sky. 

He looked at her so fondly, that Jon had the impression they knew each other,  _very_  well. 

More than he liked.

_You can’t judge Jon; you aren’t together anymore._

Daenerys hugged the man, her small frame becoming engulfed by his larger one as he hugged her back tightly. 

They parted, the hug brief, much to Jon’s relief. 

They whispered to one another, the man’s face looking down at Daenerys clearly eclipsed by her presence.

Daenerys gestured for Grey Worm, Jon and Davos to follow her as she clasped hands with the stranger before walking further up the steps into the entrance of what Jon now knew was a Pyramid. 

Jon had never been so far away from Westeros; he had never seen such variation of skin colours and landscapes.

He was stunned by it all, but his head kept drifting back to the man infront of him who held Daenerys’s hand tightly. 

They congregated into a large room, a large wooden table in the centre of it “Welcome all” The man said, hand resting limply on his hip as he leant against the table.

Jon rolled his eyes, already telling he was a man of arrogance; a man Jon wouldn't like.

 _And it had absolutely nothing to do with the way he was looking at Daenerys._ **Not. At. All.**

“I’m Daario encase Daenerys forgot to mention it” He smiled playfully, propping grapes into his mouth in an over dramatic fashion. 

Daenerys seemed awkward, Jon could sense it in her rigid shoulders and tight smile. 

Something wasn’t right. 

“These are my-  _friends_. Jon Snow and Ser Davos Seaworth” Daenerys gestured to the two men standing before her. 

Daario nodded sharply, eyes never bothering to acknowledge at the two men, instead he took a sudden interest in a now grown Grey Worm. 

“Ah, your still alive them” He quipped.

Daenerys eyes stilled, pulling Daario by the arm back “Of course he is. He’s  _my_  Master of War” She told him, eyes stern, hoping he didn’t make a comment on where Missandei was, because now wasn’t the time or place. 

“Ah, and here was me thinking I’d get the promotion seen as I’ve managed to single handily keep this place as _you_ left it”.

He joked with Daenerys openly, and Jon knew that Daario must know her on an intimate level. 

It was obvious, his eyes couldn’t last two seconds without staring at her face, at her beauty. 

He looked at her with lust filled eyes and Jon eventually looked to the floor, not wanting to see him make deliberate attempts to make Daenerys smile any longer. 

“So, what do I call you now then, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons” Daario smirked, “The list indeed does go on”. 

“Your _Queen_  will do for now” Daenerys remarked; tone surprisingly firm. 

"Now, now. You don't have to be this way infront of _our_ guests" Daario soothed, before breaking out into a playful smile.

Jon shook at his words, _our,_ there was no _our_ , not with him and Daenerys anyway, Jon would see to that.

So, tell me where _is_ Jorah- I'm surprised he isn't hanging off your ankle" Daario chuckled.

It was meant to be a joke; Daenerys knew that but her hands folded into tiny fists at the mention of her fallen friend. 

Jon shared a subtle glance with Davos, realising quickly that Daario didn’t know of her destruction at Kings Landing, didn’t know of her death, her resurrection, he didn't know fucking anything. 

Jon took comfort in knowing she hadn’t shared that with Daario, clearly not trusting him as much as Jon had first thought. 

"We will speak about this later" Daenerys muttered, pausing until her heart beat had returned to its normal pace.

“You are both to have rooms on the same level as mine. We will be guarded, morning and night. Tomorrow we shall meet with more villagers. I’d like to show you my history, show you why I’m called the names that I am. _Show you why I came to Westeros_ ” Her eyes steady on Davos, drifting hesitantly to Jon and back. 

Davos obliged “Aye- sounds good your Grace. If I may, I’d like to retire to my quarters now. That walk really took it out t'ov me” He chuckled softly.

“Of course, Ser Davos. Rest” Daenerys fretted over him, walking over to squeeze his arm gently. 

"I don't suppose you've got any clothes laying around- It's quite a change to the North" Davos pointed out, unlacing his thick shirt.

"Yes, of course. I will have some sent down to you" Daenerys told him, before turning to one of the Unsullied. “Take him to his room, make sure he is well looked after”.

Davos nodded in thanks, before giving Jon a discreet sarcastic thumbs up as he departed the room.

Then things suddenly became more awkward, she could feel Jon’s gaze on her, he was smouldering again. 

And Daario’s fidgeting body beside her was only making matters worse.

“You were a King, weren't _you?_ ” Daario asked Jon forwardly, eyes squinting suspiciously.

Jon’s head twitched to the side, eyes finding Daenerys's wide ones.

"I'm sure I've heard of you" Daario pondered in thought, hand gripping the tuffs of hair growing at the bottom of his chin.

"Ah that's it- you’re the _bastard_ , aren't you? A bastard who ruled the North" Daario teased.

"Daario" Daenerys warned him, eyes snapping to his smirking face.

She looked at Jon, her breathing out of control, cheeks flushing at her embarrassment for Daario's behaviour.

"It's alright Dany" Jon assured her, his outstretched hand easing her to back down.

Dario's brow furrowed at Jon calling her that, a stab of jealousy withering through his body.

“For a time yes. I was the King in the North- until I met Daenerys” Jon told him, his tone was cold. 

Colder than Daenerys had ever heard it to be, was he... 

_Oh god was he jealous?_

“Oh, so you aren't anymore?” Daario chirped, as if taking pleasure in the awkwardness between them all.

“If you mean like  _you,_  then yes” Jon quipped back, and Daenerys smirked as Daario sulked back towards the table, not many people would put him in his place.

And when silence settled amongst them for a few moments, Dany was grateful that Jon had.

“Well isn’t this splendid” Daario remarked sarcastically eyes dancing between Jon’s awkward body to Daenerys’s.

When neither one of them laughed, Daario drew a sigh. 

“Jule was it? - I think you should leave me and the Queen to it” He grinned like a Cheshire Cat and Jon saw red.

“Excuse me?” Jon spat, taking a threatening step towards Daario and this time, Grey Worm didn’t hold him back. 

Daario laughed, but it wasn’t warm and inviting like Daenerys's.

It was laced with arrogance, an _I’m better than you_ laugh. 

“My names _Jon_ ” He muttered patience wearing dangerously thin for the jester infront of him.

“Joe- Jon, whatever it is” Daario waved his hand around dismissing Jon’s correction. “Can you leave us” Daario demanded.

Daenerys gulped; she knew she had to put a stop to these embarrassing attempts of trying to mark their territory.

_Her._

She rolled her eyes, sighing deeply. “How about _I_ leave and give you both time to get to know one another” She drew a satisfied grin towards Jon, enjoying the thought of leaving them both alone.

“Whilst I respect your decision to leave this, this _debauchery_ your Grace may I accompany you to your room?” Daario asked, his intentions clear as he cast a knowing smirk Jon’s way.

Daenerys oblivious, nodded at Daario. “Yes, okay”.

She touched Jon’s arm hesitantly “Are you coming?” Her eyes silently pleading for him to join them.

It was Jon’s turn to smirk at Daario as he followed behind Daenerys “ _Of course_ ”.

The walk was silent, their out of sync footsteps echoing down the fire lit corridors. 

“This is me” Daenerys announced a little too loudly as she stopped outside her quarters. Grey Worm positioning himself outside it. 

She pointed to another door a few metres “Jon I requested you had that room there, it has a balcony I’ll think you’ll like it” She smiled briefly, before turning to unlock her door.

“Daenerys- My Queen. _May_ I?” Daario asked, back leaning forward from all the wall.

She frowned, turning her lock with ease. “I think I have it covered”.

“No- I need to _speak_ with you” His voice suddenly growing in urgency.

She bit her lip, eyes glancing to Jon mindful that he still hadn’t entered his own room.

“Okay” She muttered, “But make it quick”.

She titled her head towards Jon, a small smile appearing on her fire enlightened face before disappearing into her room.

Daario lent against her door frame, eyes looking brazenly at Jon as he replied “Oh, I intend it to be”.

He sauntered in quickly behind Daenerys and Jon was left to look at a still Grey Worm.

He opened his mouth to ask who Daario was, and why he was such an insufferable arrogant arsehole... But he decided against it, knowing he wasn’t Grey Worms favourite person at the moment either. 

He entered his room, Ghost curled up on the floor waiting patiently for Jon.

“Come’ere boy” Jon whispered thickly.

Ghost quickly rose to all fours, padding over to his kin. He sat before Jon, and he immediately felt his anger fizzle away.

There was a gentle breeze blowing through his room, he welcomed it appreciatively, still adapting to the warmer climate there.

The thin netted drapes that covered the opening to his balcony swirled around as the breeze began to weaken. Curiosity overcame his hasty footsteps as his hands pushed through the fabric.

His eyes scanned the quaint town below him, his arms leaning on the wall.

“Wow” He whispered in awe.

There were another two pyramids infront of him, much smaller than the one he had now taken residence in.

The breeze came along, the loose wispy strands of hair around his face blowing freely.

There were lights scattered across the landscape, towers vast and grand. 

It was beautiful, and so peaceful.

He cast a glance to his right, eyes falling upon Daenery's balcony, it was far bigger than Jon's, but he didn't seem to mind.

_Daenerys was right, he did love it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm making Daario out to be arrogant as fuck buttttt he kinda is. (I didn't mind him in the show).  
> Rest assured Dany/Daario will NOT happen. The next chapter will solidify that :)  
> As always please leave feedback below. I love to know what y'all think!!!  
> Next chapter coming shortly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short kind of chapter. The next one is very very long. I’m considering splitting it into two. Grey Worm / Jon & Dany / Davos / Daario.  
> Updated it slightly might want to re-read the end part :)

“So, where is everyone?” Daario asked impatiently as he hastily closed Daenerys’s door. 

Daenerys’s body subconsciously froze, fighting instantly to keep her tears at bay.

She turned to face him, her heavily clouded eyes and wobbling lips taking Daario by surprise.

“Daenerys” He muttered, rushing over to her, putting her pained face in between his two palms.

“Their gone” She cried, voice breaking under the immense pressure building in her chest.

Daario shook his head, finally lost for words. 

“How can it be?” He whispered, eyes searching hers.

“Because of me” She whispered guilty.

His hands didn’t leave her face the way she thought they would; if anything he only held her tighter. 

“Don’t say that” He muttered, eyes firm as he spoke.

“But it’s true” She swallowed quickly, “Westeros wasn’t as easy as we thought Daario. I had to fight the dead-“.

“The _dead_?” He questioned, not following her. 

“Yes _the_ dead- and that’s where I lost Viserion and Jorah and-” She took a deep shaky breath, feeling the hotness of her tears brewing again in the corner of her eyes. 

“Then I rushed to Kings Landing I was _naive_ , _stupid_ and it cost me Rhaegal, it cost me Missandei”.

“She’s dead...” Daarios face dropped, horror eclipsing his normally egotistical face.

Daenerys nodded silently “like I said... it’s all my fault”.

“That’s not true- you weren’t the one to kill them” Daario replied, hands trying to sooth her as they entangled in her loose hair.

“I was close enough”.

She took a step back, wiping her eyes hastily. She didn’t cry, especially when in company. 

“Forgive me” She muttered wiping her eyes with the side of her cape. 

Daario didn’t respond, eyes fixated on the ground. She felt it, the thoughts whirling around in his head, the questions he was burning to ask.

But he didn’t, maybe he realised she wasn’t ready to talk anymore, or maybe he was just being him. 

Winning fights and loving women. 

“I’m glad your back, I’ve missed sharing your bed with you” His eyes were still glistening in tears, but they began to ease as he smiled at her, although it didn’t hold as much of a spark as normal. 

“Oh really?” She asked half heartedly. 

“I’ve missed _you_ ” He held her gaze, and the air around them felt heavier than ever before. 

Daenerys rolled her eyes, laughing as she spoke “Don’t tell me- you haven’t slept with half the women in this town while I’ve been gone”.

“If I did.. every time I thought of you” He quipped back, and she regrettably knew that part was true. 

“Look, Daario- I. Things have changed,  _I’ve_   changed” She told him, trying to get through to him and his love stricken eyes. 

“Indeed they have, you’ve gotten more beautiful and  _much_   more powerful” He purred. 

Daario leant forward instinctively to kiss her, but Dany rebuffed it, her hand a gentle barrier between their bodies. 

Daario huffed, a look of realisation etched onto his face “It’s because of him isn’t it?” he asked. 

“What?” Daenerys asked, stepping back to put more space between them.

“Jon Snow” Daario whispered spitefully trying to mimic Jon’s distinctive northern accent. 

“It doesn’t matter” Daenerys dismissed preparing to leave the room before things got to personal. 

“It matters to me, did he give you what I did. Does he love you the way I-“

Dany interrupted him, not wanting to go there but it seemed she had no choice “He killed me” She admitted wearily. 

Daario stilled, a horrified gasp escaping through his lips “He- he what?”.

“A knife through the heart to save me. Save me from others, from  _myself_ ” she looked away swiftly, taking no joy in saying it. 

“So yes, it is about him. Because of him I’m learning to find myself again. And getting involved with you won’t help me”.

“How are you here- Daenerys I don’t understand” He shook his head, mouth open ajar. 

“I know it doesn’t make sense” She clasped her hands in his “But I can’t explain it all to you- not yet anyway”.

“I did terrible things Daario. Things you wouldn’t believe. If you knew- you wouldn’t think of me the way you do now” She muttered. 

“I’m good for you. You know I am. I’ve never not believed in you. I’d go to the ends of the earth for you” Daario declared.

“I know” Daenerys whispered “ I _know_   and that’s exactly why I can’t let this- whatever  this  is happen. Not now, not ever. You love me almost too much, your blinded by me to the point any bad things I do don’t matter to you. I don’t need that... I need someone who can tell me I’m wrong”. 

She walked towards her balcony, leaving Daario to reel over her revelations. 

He grabbed his dagger though, following quickly after her. 

“Why isn’t he dead” Daario asked, voice full of heat. 

“Because _I’m_ alive” She muttered trying not to look back at him as she did so. 

“Let me kill him, anything” Daario asked with urgency. 

“No!” Daenerys turned to face Daario anger trembling in her top lip.

“You will not harm a hair on his head. Do _you_ understand” she warned him, never being so sure of anything before. 

His arm dropped to his side, the look on his face filled with confusion but above all hurt. 

“I’ll show you I’m good for you. Nothing is more pure than love. And I know what I feel for you, it’s love, pure and true. I’ll be there for you, at your side. I just need you to trust me” Daario urged her. 

But she shook her head slowly “I can’t. Please know I’m _so_ grateful for you, for everything you’ve done in honour of me. But I can’t give you what you want” Daenerys sympathised, before watching him reluctantly leave her room.

She waited until his footsteps were distant before calling out “Grey Worm” 

Grey Worm entered within seconds, “Yes my Queen” He asked robotically.

She had a worrisome frown on her face, and Grey Worm began to panic "Is there something wrong?".

She nodded slowly, gesturing for him to approach her, observant eyes watching the way he writhed his hands together.

He knew what it was about. 

“My Queen I-“.

Daenerys held her hand up abruptly.

"Why did you put Jon in chains?" She asked calmly.

Grey Worm sucked in a breath, "I- he- he hurt you" He gulped, cowardly eyes staring at the floor.

“I’m not mad. I could be, I  _should_ be. But I’m not. I’m worried” She told him, eyes staring at him in concern.

He sighed and she saw his guard come crashing down.

“I know you miss her, and I know you can’t bring her back and I know you think you failed-“.

He shook his head, refusing for the tears to fall. 

“I know you feel it, because I do to. And I know you blame yourself for me- dying. But it isn’t your fault. Punishing Jon- it wont help you. It won’t help  _me_ ” Her eyes looked at him fondly, wishing he’d stop punishing himself for something that was out of his control. 

“You are to protect Jon and Davos as if they were me. I know you don’t like it- and, I’m not asking you to forgive him. But I need to learn how to, and I can’t do that if he’s dead”. 

Grey Worm nodded slowly, “I’m sorry” voice laced in regret. 

“If you need to talk, to let off some steam. I’m here and I’ll listen. We can help each other, okay?” Her brows raised, as she held her breath in anticipation. 

“Okay, okay I will” Grey Worm replied, his glazed eyes looking at Daenerys in thanks.

“One last thing, tomorrow- I’d like you to smooth things over with Jon. You will take him to visit where you are from. Show him who  _you_ are”.

Grey Worm didn’t seem to happy about that, but he took it as well as could be expected.

“As you wish” He nodded briefly before exiting.

Now that she was alone to think freely, she took her cape off, folding it neatly onto the back of her chair. 

Her eyes graced over her skin, staring at her scar. 

It still hurt sometimes, but the skin around it was less tender, when she hoped the redness would ease to. 

She didn’t want to cover her chest forever, she didn’t want to be _reminded_ of it forever. 

She took her dress off, relishing in the cool breeze as it blew through her balcony opening. 

She slipped her night gown on, before her bare feet padded across the room and onto her balcony. 

She didn’t spot him at first, his dark hair and features blending perfectly into the night. 

But he saw her instantly, her hair blowing softly in the breeze, night gown finishing just below her thigh.

Jon was relieved when Daario didn’t follow her outside. 

He didn’t speak, didn’t move a single muscle, he wanted to soak her up this way for as long as he could. 

His eyes gazed longingly for her, but he resisted the urge he felt within his chest to hop over to her balcony and hold her in his arms. 

She let out a sigh, eyes staring up at the nights sky and the constellation of stars that scattered across it.

He wondered what she was thinking about, wondered why her shoulders seemed so heavy. 

Daenerys craned her neck to the side, eyes eventually landing upon his still body.

“Jon” She gasped, eyes unusually puffy.

“Sorry” He muttered, walking to the edge closest to her balcony.

“You looked a million miles away, I didn’t want to interrupt”.

“I wish I _was_ a million miles away” She commented, turning back to face the city.

“It’s beautiful” Jon said following her gaze.

“I know- I’m glad you think so”.

Silence filled the cool nights air, until Daenerys spoke up. 

“I’m alone” She muttered hesitantly.

“Oh-kay?” Jons brow arched, unsure of how he was meant to have replied. 

“I was- I just wanted you to know that _I’m alone_ tonight” She shivered, before folding her arms across her chest. 

The cool breeze made her nipples go hard, the sheer material that clung to her body not camouflaging it.

Jon’s eyes darted to them before looking away quickly feeling as though he’d imposed on her. 

Like he’d gone a step to far.

“See you tomorrow Jon” She whispered softly, before walking back into her room.

“Night Dany” he muttered back, standing outside a little longer to take in the views. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up within the next two days. Prepare yourselves. Angst is coming!!!!!!!!!! Don’t say I didn’t warn you ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the comments guys. I love reading through them :)

The sun shone vividly through the sheer cotton drapes, Daenerys’s hand instinctively shielding her tired eyes as they began to open wearily. 

She sighed, for what felt like the thousandth time as she propped herself up onto her elbows, leaning back sleepily against the headboard.

It felt quiet, almost _too_ quiet. She slid her legs off the bed, feet landing swiftly on the floor. 

She instinctively parted her lips to call out for Missandei, managing to stop herself before she drew the breath. A shaky hand grasping at her lips, feeling sick at the painful reminder that her friend was _never_ coming back.

 _Would this feeling ever go away?_   _Would she ever adapt to life without her?_

She paused in thought, hands lingering on the bed sheet still bundled in her tightly formed fists. 

The dull ache pressing down on her tight chest a silent but firm reply. 

_No._

She sighed, rubbing her hands aggressively over her eyes to try and wake herself up. 

A knock sounded on her door; she pulled the covers up across her chest quickly “Who is it?”.

“Me” Grey Worms deep voice shouted in response. 

Daenerys chuckled softly, smiling at his unintentionally coy reply. He hadn’t quite grasped innuendo's yet, but she was confident that one day he would. 

“Come in” She replied.

Her door unlocked, a very nervous Grey Worm walking through the archway, eyes mystified over in sombre. 

“I’m ready” He told her, feet drawing to an abrupt stop. 

She looked at his suspiciously, a silent frown itching at her lips, not following. But within a beat, her conversation from the previous night flickered into her trail of thought, and then she remembered. 

_I’ve asked him to show Jon around today._

“Is he awake?” Daenerys asked, getting up from her bed to wrap a thicker gown around her. 

Grey Worm shrugged, “I’m not sure my Queen”.

She laughed again, looking at him endearingly “Go and knock on his door. Once he’s ready, you will show him around. I’m sure you’ll do the _right_ thing” She emphasised on the latter part, giving him a knowing look. 

He nodded, muttering a quick thank you before departing from her room. 

She sighed, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Beginning to doubt her way of trying to get both men to see eye to eye, _what if they kill one another_ she wondered. 

But she dismissed the thought, they’d never do that to her.

Not again. 

In the room next door, Jon was busy staring at the ceiling, Ghosts sleeping body stretched out across his chest. 

Grey Worm didn’t knock before entering Jon’s room, Jon cursed as Grey Worm brazenly walked through the door. 

“Fucking hell- “Jon shouted, body shooting up quickly from the bed, brows raised in shock at his invasion of privacy. 

His voice startled Ghost, the Direwolf shaking its body from side to side, jumping off the bed to growl at Grey Worm.

“My Queen has asked I take you places. Get dressed” Grey Worm muttered, arms crossed infront of his chest, gaze never differing from Jon’s perplexed one. 

“She- _What_?” Jon frowned, not following. His mind still reeling from Grey Worms lack of manners.

Grey Worm sighed; mouth parted to repeat himself but Jon stopped him. 

“It doesn’t matter” Jon said dismissively as he stretched, getting out of bed. 

He walked over to his vanity unit, pulling his trousers on. Before approaching Grey Worm topless. 

Grey Worm pulled a frown of disgust “where is your shirt?”.

Jon chuckled “it’s not the North here. It’s too warm. I’ll just walk around like this” Jon shrugged.

Grey Worm refused, head shaking “I will get you a shirt. Wait here”. 

He rushed off quickly, Jon finding his reaction amusing. Was his chest _really_ that off putting? 

Not moments later a flustered Daenerys appeared at his door. Grey Worm trailing behind her like a small child who’s just told on their sibling for doing something wrong. 

Her eyes roamed invasively over Jon’s bare chest; Jon coughed purposely to draw eyes away from his scar. 

“Morning- Grey Worm mentioned you needed clothes?” She asked unsurely, a bundle of cotton shirts propped up in her hand.

Jon took them, giving her a thankful smile. “Where am I going?” He asked, head tilting to the side endeared by her vague behaviour. 

“Somewhere” Daenerys mused, before leaving Jon to get ready. 

* * *

Grey Worm and Jon walked for a while and Jon silently thanked Daenerys for the cotton shirt. It was the first time since arriving in Meeren that he didn’t have pools of sweat building under his clothes, and it felt fucking fantastic. 

The two men hadn’t talked, hadn’t shared a _single_ breath with one another as they walked in an uncomfortable silence. Grey Worm always a step or two in front as he led Jon through the unfamiliar territory.

Jon had taken his sword, it earned him an untrusting glare from Grey Worm at first, but Jon didn’t care. He needed to be alert, _needed_ to protect himself.

If this city loved Daenerys as much as Grey Worm and Daario did, he couldn’t afford to take any risks. 

They eventually came to a bridge that travelled for several miles. “This was the walk of punishment” Grey Worm muttered, eyes seeing the ghosts of the many thousands of tortured souls who were strung there to die.

He noticed Jon’s furrowed brow, listening to his instincts he began to elaborate on what it was that they were walking along.

“Slaves were punished. Crucified along this bridge. They were used to stop others from disobeying their masters, because if they did- they’d end up here” Grey Worms finger pointed loosely to the wooden stands that still stood along the one side of the bridge.

Jon was shocked by the cruelty these foreign lands had once enforced, feeling as though his childhood with Catelyn as a stepmother was something far better; yet he wasn't grateful for it.

“Daenerys stopped it” Grey Worms head turned to face Jon.

“She broke our chains, killed our masters. She set. Us. Free” His voice was firm, eyes transpiring waves of gratitude to Daenerys Targaryen who had saved countless lives, who had saved _his_ life.

Jon reeled in the revelation, berating himself internally for not remembering where Grey Worm had come from, what he had been before Daenerys.

“I will show you more” Grey Worm uttered, his pace quickening along the bridge.

Jon noticed how his eyes wouldn’t look up from the ground again, and for a short moment he sympathised with him.

Jon walked much further behind, taking in the small reminiscence of blood that still stained the bridge. He felt it; the past pain of the hundreds of people who had been sent there to die. Swallowing tightly, he curtly nodded his head as a sign of respect for the fallen.

He cast a glance to Grey Worm who was reaching the end of the bridge. Jon picked his pace up, not wanting to leave him waiting around in a place like this.

Jon noticed they hadn’t passed many people on the journey, his confusion trying to persuade him to ask why that was. But he kept his questions to himself, Grey Worm seeming different than before.

Grey Worm turned sharply, hands resting on Jon’s shoulders “Wait here”.

Jon obliged silently; thankful he was getting a few moments to rest. 

Grey Worm took another twenty or so steps, before stopping and turning back to face Jon. 

“I was saved here” Grey Worm shouted, foot stamping on the ground forcefully in the exact spot he had stood in when Daenerys had set him free. 

Jon nodded slowly; Grey Worms point unclear to him.

“My Queen asked I show you, show you where she saved me”. Grey Worm added, feeling slightly uncomfortable at Jon’s confusing stare.

“Oh, right” Jon nodded, only understanding what was going on to a degree, but he wasn’t about to tell Grey Worm that. 

“I stood here, and she set me free. She set all of the Unsullied free” Grey Worm told Jon, walking back towards him with reluctant steps. 

It felt strange to him, to reminisce about his past and how he came to be the Master of War to Daenerys Targaryen. 

“If she set you free, why are you with her now?” Jon asked quickly, his inner thoughts suddenly becoming verbal ones. 

“Because she set me free. She allowed me to be a free man and for that, I will always be indebted to her. She does not keep us against our will _Jon Snow_ ” Grey Worm frowned; tone displeased at Jon’s question.

“No- I _know_ that. I just wondered why a slave who had just been set free would willingly give themselves and serve under another”.

“She isn’t like anyone else” Grey Worm commented, his voice for the first time having some kind of warmth to it, as they began to walk around the deserted area once home to the Unsullied. 

“She didn’t have to free us, save us. But _she_ did. She burned slave masters in front of us with her Dragon. She saved me. Gave me something to live for- gave me someone to lo-”.

Grey Worms body stilled, heaving in shock at how close he was to sharing his personal feelings with Jon. He tensed his jaw defiantly, trying to not think of Missandei’s caramel skin glistening in the sunlight the very first time he’d lay eyes on her.

Being here bought it all back. Like a reopened wound that refused to heal “I loved her” He muttered, looking at the floor with a sudden sadness.

“Missandei?” Jon asked cautiously.

Grey Worm nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He was human, he hurt, he bled, he felt just like everyone else and Jon began to realise his anger towards him wasn’t _just_ about him killing Daenerys anymore.

“I’m sorry for what happened” Jon told him, meaning it more than Grey Worm could ever know.

Grey Worm didn’t respond, face fighting to keep his tears at bay.

“I follow my Queen wherever she will go. _She_ gave me my freedom, and _she_ brought me and Missandei of Naath together. I would never betray her- _never_ go against her” He muttered firmly, eyes closing to take a moment.

Jon wondered if the latter half of his sentence was more of a personal dig at Jon for what had happened in Kings Landing and how he’d refused to fight the Lannister army when they had surrendered. 

Jon didn’t believe what Grey Worm had done that day was right, but he understood to some extent, or at least he thought he did. 

He was loyal to Daenerys, her Master of War. He wasn’t there to stop her or to talk her down. He was there to fulfil her orders, protect her first and foremost, follow her to the end of the earth if she asked him to.

The more Jon thought about it, the more he realised why Grey Worm disliked him so bad.

“Tell me more about her, about Daenerys” Jon pressed, changing the subject quickly in the hope of Grey Worms frown softening. 

And it did, Grey Worms face was always soft when he talked about Daenerys. 

“She is our saviour” He muttered; eyes heavy on Jon’s. 

“She set us free, and killed any man who believed otherwise” Grey Worm uttered proudly, lips twitching into a small smile. 

“I wish you hadn’t killed her” He admitted, the conversation changing course again. 

“She trusted you, you were the only one- _the only one_ she would be alone with without me” Grey Worm swallowed quickly, discomfort nipping away at his insides “She would have listened to you”.

Jon arched a brow “I think we both know she wouldn’t of”.

Grey Worm shrugged “Maybe. But she might of and that should have been enough for you”.

Jon sighed, “Look. I know you don’t like me and if I was you, I wouldn’t like me either” Jon admitted, earning a fleeting tight smile of agreement from Grey Worm.

“But I did what I thought at the time was the right thing. And now I have to live with my decision for the rest of my life”. 

“I know. But she was a good person. Look at this, look at what she had done here. She was okay before we came across the sea. All she had there was hurt and betrayal”.

Jon’s head turned to the side; Grey Worms stare now taking residence in the sky as he continued to speak freely about Daenerys.

“She did things, bad things Jon Snow. But so did everyone else. But she was the only one punished. It’s not fair” Grey Worm commended, shaking his head.

“She didn’t like to be feared, she hated it. Nights she’d spend crying alone in her chamb- “, Grey Worm stopped his lips from moving, he wouldn’t betray her like that.

“ _Your_ people gave her no choice; the people of Kings Landing gave her _no choice_ ”.

“They did” Jon challenged, although his voice remained placid. “She heard those bells, but she chose to ignore them”.

“They killed Missandei, the woman she loved, the woman _I_ loved- Her children! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same” Grey Worm asked him, eyes wide in disbelief.

Jon paused, thinking about it the best he could, “I don’t know- I don’t know what I would have done” He rasped, eyes dulling at the thought.

“She lost two of her children, Jorah- It’s a lot for one person to handle” Grey Worm protested, although much less forcefully as before.

“Why did you kill her?” Grey Worm asked, voice cutting through Jon’s head like a blunt knife. 

Jon looked wearily at him, before looking back down at the ground. 

“How- how could you kill the woman you said you loved?” His voice yearning for an answer that would settle his now, racing heart.

“I killed her because- I had to. It was stupid, cowardly- but I had to” Jon admitted, words leaving an unforgivable sour taste in his mouth. 

“You punished her” Grey Worm muttered.

“No- No I didn’t” Jon pushed, steps purposely slowing down. 

“She massacred thousands of people- _my family_ wanted her dead. _Tyrion_ wanted her dead” Jon frowned.

He saw the shift in Grey Worms eyes and he half regretted saying what he did.

“So, you did what your family asked? You betrayed her. You killed her” Grey Worms face was noticeably stern, his nostrils flaring as he took a sharp breath. 

“I didn’t kill her for them. I killed her to _save_ her” Jon reasoned, but his words fell flat against Grey Worms adamant glare.

“No- you killed her” Grey Worm shook his head.

“Think of it like this. My family wouldn’t stop until she was dead. So, I- I killed her and Drogon flew her away to Kinvara. So, my family thinks she’s dead but she’s not. But she’s _safe_ on this side of the sea. I killed two birds with one stone, aye?” Jon asked hesitantly.

Grey Worms frown deepened “Kill bird... one stone?” He asked confused, staring between his two hands and then back up to Jon. 

“Yeah- you know I got two things done in one” Jon was close to laughing, but he refrained himself from doing so; the topic of conversation not something to take so lightly.

“I don’t understand” Grey Worm grimaced, staring awkwardly at Jon’s bemused face.

“It doesn’t matter, forget about it” Jon smiled, for the first time since being in Grey Worms presence.

But Grey Worm was surprising persistent, “No. Tell me. I- I want to know”.

“Okay then” Jon shrugged. “So, imagine Daenerys is upset”.

Grey Worm’s hand moved swiftly to his dagger, “Here me out” Jon chuckled nervously, gaze convincing Grey Worm to remove his hand off the hilt of his weapon.

“So, you know she’s upset _and_ hungry. So, you bring her food _and_ make her laugh. You solve two problems, two birds, one stone” Jon explained slowly, watching Grey Worms eyes following the movement of his hands as he spoke.

“Okay. I think I understand” Grey Worms face breaking out into a rare smile.

Jon smiled back, as brief as it was until Grey Worm gestured for him to follow, as he sat upon a wall that over looked the shore.

“I hope you don’t betray her again” Grey Worm muttered, his words getting swept up in the sea breeze. “You made her happy”.

Jon squinted his eyes as he looked up at the clouds, the sun peering through them “I don’t intend to” He told him, and for once Grey Worm didn’t look at him like he wanted to kill him.

They sat on the wall for a while, exchanging stories of Daenerys and how she snores in her sleep even though she swears blind she doesn't. Even threatening to cut off your tongue when you tell her so.

When the sun began to set, Grey Worm told Jon they must head back; the streets not always safe at night.

“Oh- _now_ you care?” Jon plagued him, a subtle hand resting on his hip.

“Listen _small man_ ” Grey Worm warned, although his lips could barely contain his smile “My Queen loves you- and I will see that no harm comes to you. She wanted me to show you what she’s done here. What she did for me”.

Jon nodded silently, not yet grasping the way Grey Worm tried to make a joke. 

 _I'm not that small_ Jon thought.

“I’m sorry- for putting you in chains- It was foolish of me. Maybe that’s why the Queen asked I visit here with you- make me remember where I come from” Grey Worm muttered, before patting Jon on the back.

“Let’s go- small man” He jeered, his tone light and free.

Jon laughed, rolling his eyes as he retaliated “Just because your number one doesn’t mean I won’t kick your arse!”.

“Arse?” Grey Worm asked wearily.

Jon laughed again, much more softly than before.

“Ass. It means ass”.

The two of them walked back towards Meeren, now walking in line together as one. It wasn’t perfect, and they still didn’t trust one another fully.

But it was a start, and that was the most important part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do we think of Jon & Grey Worm airing their grievances with one another? We happy their friends??  
> Next chapter is from the same day but Dany / Daario / Davos.  
> Enjoy :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I've re written the latter half of this chapter as I missed a pretty big thing out. PLEASE RE READ :) 
> 
> http://mystyledchopsticks.blogspot.com/2012/01/fashion-dragon-dress.html  
> my inspo for Daenerys's new outfit. Its red rather than white / and her Dragon is black (Targ colours FTW).

Daenerys watched apprehensively from her balcony as Jon and Grey Worm’s small distant figures left the city, making their way to Astapor.

She hoped desperately that her discreet plan for them to reconcile would work. That they could find common ground with one another, for their own sake, if not for hers.

She met with Daario in the main drawing room later that morning, eyes trying to miss his very obvious and brazen stare.

“Daenerys” He muttered, “About last night- “.

“There’s nothing to discuss about last night” Her tone was cold and sharp, warning him to tread carefully “I told you what I want you to do. _So, do it_ ”.

“Nothing” Daario scoffed, “You want me to do nothing?” His hand falling at his side limply as he shook his head in disbelief.

She nodded her head curtly, eyes staring at him until his irked exterior began to soften under her gaze.

“Don’t look at me that way” He complained, although the glint in his eyes said he didn't mind at all.

“I’m doing nothing of the sort” She protested, yet smiling as she did so.

He began rummaging through a draw, groans of disappoint escaping through his mouth when his hands returned into view empty handed. He groaned a little while longer, until at last, he breathed a sigh of relief when his hands retrieved what he’d been looking for.

“This, is for you” He murmured, flustered eyes looking away for her, which was a very unusual occurrence for him. He spent most of his time awake staring at her.

Daario hesitantly handed her a book, the leather feeling noticeably expensive under her small thumb as it glided across it. 

It carried a great deal of weight, so she placed it on her lap, hands running over the cover; lips apart in utter awe. 

It was black, lined with delicate golden stitching, the Targaryen sigil embroidered in the middle of it with flushes of red silk at the tip of each Dragon heads. 

She gave him a quizzical look, his head nodding to the side. She returned her gaze to the book in her lap, fingers lingering on the edges of the face, until she took the plunge opening the book to the first page.

And there she was. 

A small young woman with silvery hair and three small sized Dragons. 

“It’s me” Prying her glistening eyes away for a moment to look at him in bewilderment.

“It is” Daario smiled, a small chuckle following soon after at her obvious revelation. 

Daenerys’s eyes scanned the page, small inscriptions scattered across it. Her eyes landing upon the testimony. 

_For the Queen who saved millions, and gained their unrequited love in return._

She turned to the next page; hands mindful to do so with care. The next page was of her again, this time a whole entry written on the opposing page. 

“Is this a- “.

“A book about you?” Daario intercepted, not being able to control himself as he grinned widely.

She nodded hesitantly, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

“Indeed, it is. I came up with the idea when you were gone. It gave me something to do, but it also preserved you,  _and_  your legacy”. 

He didn’t flirt, his eyes for once staying strictly in line with hers, a genuine smile bestowed upon his tanned face. 

“You did this?” A small gasp of surprise surpassing her soft lips.

He nodded briefly, watching nervously in anticipation for her reaction.

"I did as much as my talents would allow. I told them how beautiful you are and the things I knew you had done. The things I had seen you do with my own two eyes. After awhile there was so many stories, so many drawings someone suggested making it into a book. For everyone to see and read about their Queen".

She smiled demurely, reading the many gracious words that had been written about her. 

_She is the Queen who set them free. The breaker of Chains. The rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms._

_In a time of great struggle, she arose from the ashes. Unburnt, with three Dragons. The people of Meeren remember Daenerys Targaryen as their saviour. Their Mhysa._

“That’s me” She uttered under her breath, finger resting over the small painting of her in the corner.

“You did this for me… why?” Daenerys asked, eyes filling with tears.

“Because you are _good_. You are _remarkable_ , all that you did here; all you achieved in such a short space of time. You are special Daenerys Targaryen and I needed people in hundreds of years to come to know who  _you_  are” Daario told her affirmatively.

"I didn't know if I'd ever see you again- it was my comfort blanket for awhile" His normal arrogance relinquishing, "But now your back" His eyes briefly filled with tears and Daenerys looked away quickly.

She smiled, lips wobbling as her head told her she didn’t deserve it.

_She didn’t deserve to be remembered as a Saviour, not after Kings Landing._

“I’m not that person anymore” She whispered, pushing the book away from her like it was laced in poison. 

Daario knelt beside her, hand resting on top of hers “You _are._ You are good, read it. Remember who you are in _here_ ” His voice was so gentle, fingers ghosting over her chest, hovering above her intensely beating heart.

“Okay” She whispered dangerously soft, head tilting back down to read.

The door creaked, Daenerys’s unnerved head snapping in its direction. Her heartbeat eased however, when Davos’s familiar greyed hair peered around the door. 

“Sorry your Grace, I hope I’m not intruding but I was told you were in here” He muttered.

“Not at all Ser Davos, please sit” Daenerys patted the seat beside her gently. Davos walked over, eyes glancing inquisitively at the parted book in her lap that she held protectively like a new born babe. 

“May I?” He asked, fingers outstretched to take the book form her grasp.

“Yes, yes of course” Daenerys nodded, handing the book of her life in Meeren over to Davos, watching on proudly as he flicked the pages back to the very first one. 

“I must say your Grace, you haven’t aged at all” He chuckled lightly, and his gruffness reminded her so much of Jon, her heart instinctively missing a beat at the thought of him.

“It’s astounding what you did here. Many would have tried but failed. _But not you_ ” Davos reminded her kindly, propping his glasses on to the bridge of his nose.

“Mhysa, what does that mean?” He asked inquisitively, pausing on one-page particular.

“It means  _mother_. I am their mother. Their  _breaker of chains”_  Daenerys beamed, an undercurrent of pride relishing in her response.

“Amazing” Davos uttered; attention being drawn to the image of her stepping out from a fire unharmed.

“Is that why you are called the Unburnt?” He asked.

She nodded, before settling into his side and reading alongside him in a comfortable silence. His urge to learn more about her took her completely by surprise, but she embraced his questions with open arms. 

It felt good to reminisce about all the good she had done.

They talked for a while about her journey across the Dothraki sea, touching briefly upon Khal Drogo. But Davos cut his interests there, sensing the discomfort in her eyes when she spoke so tenderly of her late husband.

“It’s a travesty we didn’t hear of this in Westeros” Davos sighed, handing the book safely back into Daenerys’s lap.

“Really?” She asked, waiting anxiously for him to enlighten her on what he meant by that.

“Aye, your Grace if people knew _this_ is who you were, they would have come in their thousands to see you. To pledge themselves to you. All we knew across the other side of the sea, was that there was a Targaryen girl, with three Dragons and an army to wipe out all other armies” Davos drew a sigh of regret, wishing he’d spent more time on Dragonstone getting to know her.

“It’s to late for that now” She muttered, the air around them becoming heavy as they tried to ignore the elephant in the room.

“I meant no offence your Grace” Davos apologised, reaching out tenderly for her arm.

“I know, I know” She assured him through broken lips.

“I never intended to destroy Kings Landing- I never intended to travel to Winterfell and defeat the dead. I came across the sea Ser Davos to achieve in Westeros what I had achieved here. I wanted to  _break the wheel,_  destroy the Lannister’s, claim back what  _was_  mine. If I knew- I would never have bothered. After all that I have endured, after _all_ that I have lost. I carry it with me every day, but I can’t take it back- I wish I could. But I _can’t…_ ” Channelling her inner remorse into the deepest sigh of regret.

“I believe you’re a good person Daenerys. Some of the people around you failed you, and you suffered gravely for it. You just lost your way’ tis all. I will do my best to see out the rest of my days however long or short they may be to show you, the girl in this book is still within you. It won’t change what you did, but it will help you to never find that dark place again alright?” Davos nodded his head sternly, his fatherly instincts twitching as he saw her eyes blink back the tears.

He didn’t care about crossing the line, his arm looping tightly around her back “It’s alright now” He whispered, gentle rocking her body as she cried.

She’d never had that before, the tender love of a father, most men young or old, usually falling in love with her. She embraced his soft touch and kind words full of wisdom, allowing herself to break some of her barriers down for him to help her heal. She wished more than anything, he'd been there to console her back in Winterfell. 

But it was unfair of her to think he would, he was Jon's confident after all. 

She sniffed “Thank you- thank you Ser Davos. I needed that”.

“Aye- I believe you did your Grace. Now forgive me if I speak out of term your Grace. But I think Jon should see this” Davos suggested, soft eyes gazing at the book made in her honour.

Daario, who’d remained silent since Davos’s arrival snorted obnoxiously, “I don’t think so” He snapped, picking the book up protectively.

“Should I add the part where he kills her?!” He asked Davos callously.

It was a low blow, and Davos sucked in a sharp breath, taken aback by the words that left Daario's mouth, worrisome eyes glancing to Daenerys’s shamefully hung head.

“How about you do this elsewhere hm? You can see it’s upsetting her” Davos reasoned with him calmly, putting Daenerys's feelings at the forefront of his mind as his eyes bore holes into Daario's thick skull.

Daario swallowed, guilty eyes falling upon Daenerys’s still body. “I’m sorry- I… I wasn’t thinking” He shook his head, anger fizzling out as he reached for her hand.

She rejected it of course, wiping her eyes quickly “If Jon wants to read it, he can. Ser Davos could you see that it gets to him?” Daenerys asked quietly, the crack in her voice not going unnoticed by either of the two men that stood before her.

“I certainly will your Grace” Davos bowed his head respectively, before reluctantly leaving her alone with Daario, calling him _a blithering idiot_ under his breath.

“I’m sorry” Daario muttered again, once they were alone. “I wasn’t thinking, it was careless of me. It won’t happen again” He promised her.

She nodded, eyes looking anywhere but him. “Forgive me Daario, but I need to have a fitting with the dress maker. I mustn’t keep her waiting”.

Daenerys left the room without so much as a glance back towards him, not able to bare being around him for a single second longer.

Daario sighed, pushing a candle off the table in retaliation for the stupid comment he’d made. His brain seemingly placing blame however elsewhere.

_This is all Jon’s fault._

* * *

Walking to the main hall for supper shouldn’t be as daunting as Jon felt it was. He hadn’t seen Daenerys since morning, he hadn’t seen Davos since their brief encounter the day before, and Daario…

Well Jon didn’t care for him, not unless Daenerys was concerned anyway.

Grey Worm was walking quickly beside him, they'd only just arrived back from their trip when a maid found them both sparring. She asked that they retreat to the main hall for an evening meal with the Queen.

“Are you scared Jon Snow?” Grey Worm asked with a smirk, suspicious of Jon’s heavy pants.

“No” He quipped “I’m out of breath because my short legs don’t go as quickly as yours”.

Grey Worm understood the joke, pausing for a second to laugh. Jon fought against the urge to slap him across the back, figuring it muddled the lines between what they were now.

They weren’t friends, but not enemies. They’d found some kind of middle ground, and Jon hoped it would remain that way.

They entered the hall, food already laid out neatly across the oblong wooden table. Jon automatically took a seat opposite Davos “How’s your day been?” He asked.

“Aye- I read a book Jon. Yourself?”.

Jon snorted back the wine he’d taken a sip off, wiping the drops off his chin with the back of his sleeve “You read a book?” His brows darting upwards in surprise.

“Aye, indeed I did” Davos nodded, Jon not missing his own chuckle of surprise at what he’d spent his day doing.

“What about you?” Davos asked.

Jon glanced at Grey Worm who was now stationed at the door “We walked, and walked, and walked- “.

“Right, sounds- fun” Davos replied, casting Jon a smug look.

"Actually Ser Davos, it was" Jon nodded his head reassuringly. “Where’s Daenerys?” he asked, eyeing the length of the table that was unoccupied.

As if on cue, Daario walked through the double doors, an unusual hesitance in his walk, Daenerys followed, a few steps behind him.

Davos nodded wearily at Daario, the flustered expression on his face suggesting Daenerys was still keeping him at arms length after his comment earlier in the day. 

Jon never acknowledged Daario, his gaze heavily planted on Daenerys and her floor length gown. 

It was a deep red wine-coloured dress, its body tight fitting, with black Dragon heads propped neatly on her one shoulder, the tails swirling down her arm, finishing just before her wrist.

Her back was mostly bare, the fabric finishing just above her bum, Jon gulped as his eyes danced along her spine, and the way the candle light bounced off the metal of the Dragon perched on her shoulder.

The top half of the dress, came higher than her other Meeren dresses _, now she had a scar to accommodate for_. It was almost high neck, but not so much that she looked prudent. Her mothers ring the only piece of jewellery that she had on.

She looked regal; every _inch_ of her body pruned to ultimate perfection.

“Apologies for the lateness of my arrival. It took a little while longer to get ready” She smiled nervously , gesturing for everyone to take a seat.

“Well, if I do say so myself your Grace- you look bloomin’ lovely” Davos nodded, raising his glass in honour of her.

Jon and Daario followed suit, “To the Queen” They chanted in unison.

Jon’s eyes landed on her, and for a moment they held each other’s gaze. She flushed, the room was dark, but the candle light only inflamed her reddened cheeks more.

She dropped Jon’s gaze as soon as Daario spoke up. “So, what are you planning on doing now?”.

She took a sip of wine, the cup lingering on her lips until she thought of her reply.

“’I’d like to stay here... in Meeren” Daenerys replied.

Daario smiled wickedly, “Forever?”.

“For now,” She replied sternly, before looking across the room to her most loyal companion. “Grey Worm, please- join us” Daenerys asked, gesturing to the untouched plate beside that she’d had put there especially for him.

“Your Grace- “Grey Worm began to argue, unsure how it would sit with the rest of the Unsullied.

“You’re my Master of War _and_ one of the only few people I trust. Now please,  _join me_ ” She urged him.

He succumb to her soft glare, taking a seat. Jon smiled briefly at him, and he found himself smiling back.

_Were they friends now?_

Grey Worm felt Daario’s eyes watch his silent exchange with Jon, and he tried his best to focus on the meal infront of him and not his disapproving glare.

“Ser Davos, John” Daenerys’s voice paused waiting for them to look up at their plates.

“I’ve done some- soul searching shall we say today. And I realise now that I never told you... but- you can leave freely from here if you wish. If you need a ship, I will supply you with one. I don’t want you here because you think you have no choice. I liberated this city of slaves, and I shall _not_ allow my guests to feel like prisoners”.

Davos looked to Jon, eyes for once doing all the talking. “I would like to stay your Grace, it’s nice here”.

Jon nodded, “I too would like to stay as a guest your Grace” Jon replied, not missing the way her chest seemed to ease gradually at their words.

“Very well. I’m glad you’ve chosen to stay” She nodded, smiling curtly, before returning back to the meal she’d barely touched.

Jon glanced at Daario brows twitching upwards in surprise when for once, he wasn’t staring back at him blankly, but instead at Grey Worm.

Jon followed his gaze to Grey Worms uncomfortable body. He looked down at his plate, there were too many pieces of cutlery, and it was clearly overwhelming him.

So, he took a moment, before picking a slice of meat up by his unsure hands, tearing a bite off with his teeth. His body shrivelled up, swallowing nervously, in the hope he wasn’t embarrassing his Queen.

Daario snickered, quietly enough so that Daenerys didn’t hear but Jon most certainly did. Grey Worms unsteady confidence began to waver even more under Daario’s critical stare.

He was made to feel like an animal, like _vermin_ vilified and mocked by Daario.

But this was just Daario being Daario, it wasn’t a personal attack on Grey Worm, he was amused by his severe lack of table manners. 

But it riled Jon, making him angrily wonder who the hell Daario thought he was to judge.

He had no status, the only reason he was even at that table with them was because of his past with Daenerys. In ranks, Daario was in the same place as Jon and Davos. 

A bastard - _no Jon your not a bastard_. And an ex thief from Fleabottom. 

Jon watched on observantly, an unusual feeling rising in his chest. He dropped his fork instantly, the clattering noise of metal hitting the side of his plate gaining him the attention of every one on the table, _including_ Daenerys.

He stared Daario down, a look of defiance in his eyes. He remembered vividly his day with Grey Worm, and how much they'd spoken about his life before Daenerys, and Jon suddenly felt this urgency to comfort him, support him.

Jon took slice of meat inbetween his hands, he was doing this for Grey Worm; hoping to settle the soldiers fears the best he could.

Grey Worm watched on, the hands holding onto his slice of meat stilling as Jon began to eat with his fingers.

 _He’s doing this for me_  Grey Worm realised, taking another unsteady bite.

The embarrassment that was weighing him down now didn’t exist, and he couldn’t have been more grateful in that moment for Jon Snow.

Daenerys watched on secretly, Jon’s kind gesture once again confirming to her, that he  _was_  a good man. Her heart swelled so tightly; that she couldn’t stomach eating anymore.

Emotions fizzled through her body to the point she couldn't sit there any longer, “Forgive me, but I suddenly feel rather unwell. I will reside to my chambers until I feel better”.

" _I can walk myself_ " Holding her hand up dismissively as Daario pushed his chair back. He sank slowly back into his seat, chewing on his food aggressively, making no secret to the fact that he was very, unhappy with her growing independence. 

Jon caught her gaze briefly as she left, and she smiled earnestly at him. 

_Suddenly Jon lost his appetite too._

“Eating like that, your like the people in the pits” Daario snorted, aiming the off handed comment towards Grey Worm. 

It was meant to make them all laugh, but no one moved. Daenerys in particular stopped dead, pulling a frown at the ill gestured joke. 

She turned on her heel, taking a sharp intake of breath "People like him were _used_ in the pits. How single minded of you to make such a crass comment Daario. Forgive me, but were _you_ not from the pits too?" Daenerys asked defensively.

Jon covered his snort by gulping down what was left of his wine, a satisfied smirk tugging at either side of his lips as he did so.

“Forget about it" She shook her head, not wanting to cause a scene. 

"They don’t happen anymore anyway” She uttered. 

But her body lingered by the door, t here was something in the way that Daario didn’t respond, that made her look up at him with a questioning glare. 

“The fighting pits still happen?” Daenerys asked wearily, hoping, _praying_ she was wrong. 

Jon sensing the unease within her tone, turned to face her, smirk falling quickly from his lips. Replaced with a look of deep concern. 

“Well...” Daario began, frown tense “Occasionally we have one. But _only_ for men who  _ want  _ to fight. It gets stopped before they kill their opponent.  Think of it, as soft entertainment” Daario shrugged it off meaninglessly, but inside he was drowning under her disappointing stare. 

Daenerys paused, frown easing as she thought of how best to handle the situation.

“As long as no one is made to fight _against_ their will, and absolutely _no one_ is harmed” Her tone was firm, urging Daario to tell her now if anything bad had happened. 

“Most of the time, it’s two men fighting over a woman. The one who wins, well... _he gets her heart_ ” Daario’s eyes cast to Daenerys and he could feel Jon’s heavy stare on his back. 

Daenerys’s eyes automatically fled to Jon and she smiled painstakingly awkwardly at them all. 

“Very well” She left the room quickly, not giving Jon the chance to get her attention. 

His eyes followed her as she left the room, still staring once the door had closed behind her. 

“You want to spar in the pits Snow?” Daario asked confidently, now that Daenerys had left.

Jon chuckled at his proposition, but he didn't respond; not wanting to give Daario a second more of his time.

Jon's silence only endeared Daario more _“I’m sure our Queen would love to see it”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave thoughts below <3  
> To all who constantly leave comments, I love you! Thank you! <3


	11. Chapter 11

A little before the sun rose, Daenerys slipped out of her chambers. Feet instinctively heading towards Drogon, who lay sleepily on the outskirts of the Great Pyramid's grounds.

She whispered a small hello to him, as the summers gentle breeze blew through her newly braided hair. It wasn't as pretty or as intricate as Missandei's were, but it would suffice for now.

She hadn’t spent much time with Drogon lately, and she felt adamantly guilty for it. He was the only one left of his kind, as was _she_.

Her mind fluttered to Jon-  _Aegon._

Whatever he wanted to be called... He was one of them too, right?

_Wrong. He's a Stark. He's nothing like me, he doesn't want to be like me. Feared, unloved, unhinged-._

Drogon nudged eagerly into his mothers side, sensing the tension within her rigid shoulders and her clouded eyes. His plan at being a distraction working as she began to relax, placing a gentle palm onto the tip of his snout.

"You are so beautiful" She cooed, voice filled with as much amazement as the very first time she had laid her eyes upon him and his brothers.

His mouth parted, rows and rows of jagged teeth now becoming her view, he made a small shriek and she bit down a laugh.

_Drogon was never was the modest type._

Daenerys could sense he was dying for her to fly on his back, and after a few seconds of his agitated body scratching at the floor impatiently to leave, she gave in. “Come on then” She whispered, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.

She climbed onto him, relishing in the calmness that overwhelmed her when she was on his back. It felt right, like the moon in the night, the sunshine in the day. Being on his back filled the void in her soul, softened the crease in her forehead, made her forget, if only for a little while, of the pain and anguish that tormented her during most hours of the day.

She was at her happiest when in the sky. Hand outstretched confidently to her side, as her fingers gracefully danced amongst the cool air. The wind blowing through her loose braid. But each time it whipped back and forth off her back, she was reminded of Missandei.

And then she found herself holding in her breath, and it wasn’t because of the air hitting her cheeks with great force. She missed her bestfriend, her _only_ friend, gravely.

Daenerys had heard tales that said that time makes things easier, makes loss and pain easier.

But it was wrong, the story tellers were  _wrong_.

The sunlight bounced off her three headed dragon brooch that rested on the tip of her shoulder, and like a beacon of light sent from above she smiled. It was a painful smile, tears still brimming her weary eyes, her bottom lip wobbling against her row of teeth.

_It's Missandei_ she thought, the light protruding off her brooch until it got lost amongst the vivid colours of crimson and burnt orange that enveloped the sky.

Missandei was that. A beacon of light, a hand holding comforter. She was her _bestfriend._

And she never got to tell her, not truly, how much she loved her. How grateful and lucky she was to have had someone like her beside her. The lump in her throat reappeared, and Daenerys wondered if the feeling of great loss would ever ease.

Her thoughts began to plague her, and she closed her eyes in defeat, not being able to stomach the sight of the sky any longer. She took a moment or two to steady her shaky breaths. Leaning her body forward, wet cheek resting on the side of Drogon’s neck as she screwed her eyes shut again, wishfully praying, to whom she wasn't sure of, but she prayed nevertheless.

Praying that she could stay like this forever, to feel untouchable, weightless as she flew through the abundant puffs of the tangerine clouds that swallowed the suns rays on the horizon.

Her fingers caressed either side of Drogon's neck, and by the time she opened her eyes again, they'd travelled far; the Great Pyramid no longer in her view.

Then it hit her, like a sharp slap to the side of her face, a hand clasped to her throat, realising all to quickly where Drogon was taking her.

It felt strange, wrong even; when she placed her first hesitant foot on the grassy hill. She felt like she was cheating at life. After everything she'd done, notably the latter part of her life, she was there. Breathing in the sea salted air, feeling the wind against her cheeks, she was _alive, living, breathing._

But Missandei wasn't, Jorah wasn't, Rhaegal and Viserion weren't either. 

It hurt, hurt deeper than the sore spot bestowed upon her chest. She missed them, more than words, more than tears could ever explain. She wiped angrily at her cheeks, scolding herself for being so ungrateful at being given another chance at life.

Another chance to making the world a better place - like she was born to do.

_Do this for them. Live for them._ A voice rang in her ears..

Her body stilled, as she settled onto the same rock she'd sat on the first time she had arrived on the shores of what once was Slavers Bay. Her sad eyes searched the same sky that Rhaegal and Viserion had once flew in as they battled over a goat and she swallowed down her painful sobs.

She felt a grave deal of guilt curse through her body, wishing foolishly if only for a moment that she'd never sailed across the sea. That she'd stayed here, her mind drifting to what could of been, how things would be now if she had stayed. 

Missandei and Grey Worm would be happy, together,  _as they should be._  

Her children would grow old with her, and she'd love them more and more every day,  _if that was even possible_.

It was a silly thing to imagine, imagine how easy and peaceful and happy life would be for her if she had stayed. It only made her reality hurt more.

Only made it  _cut_  deeper. 

Drogon paced around, until he finally settled down beside his mother, perching his abnormally large frame next to hers.

His nostrils flared, and Daenerys could sense his unhappiness so easily, that she stifled a short cry. 

Although he was seen as a beast to some, even seen as a killing machine. He was her _child_ , and he hurt, he bled just like she did. 

His neck lay across her lap, and she felt his pain from missing his brothers simmering at the surface of his eyes; and again another stab of guilt punctured her chest.

Her hands swiped across his snout, and he breathed out heavily, wings deflating at his sides. He wasn't happy here anymore, he wanted to go home.

But where was home anymore.

It wasn't Kings Landing, it wasn't here in Meeren. 

Maybe that's why he's sad;  _we don't have a home anymore._  Her motherly instincts regrettably never proven to be wrong before.

"I'm sorry" She whispered softly, eyes oozing with guilt. Knowing what he wanted, she couldn't give him. 

Dany didn't want to leave Meeren, not now... maybe not ever.

Here she felt _safe_ , she felt _loved_ , and to rebuild herself, mould herself back into the shape she'd originally worked so hard to form, she needed to remain here.

Grow here,  _again._

He nudged her absent body, almost like a small  _I know Mom._

Daenerys brow ceased, giving him a small tight smile as she looked down at him. His blinking amber eyes trained only on her, reminding her she wasn't alone. 

She had him, and he'd be there, every step of the way, whether this was to be their home or not.

They sat on the rock for awhile, listening to the waves as they hit the cliff face. It was peaceful, a very welcomed change from listening to Jon and Grey Worm bickering with one another under their breaths when they thought she wasn't listening.

Her hands ran down Drogon's head as far as they could reach, before slowly travelling back again. She hadn't realised how therapeutic it was to let her fingers glide over his scales, whilst sitting a stones throw away from the shore.

As the day disappeared before her eyes, and the haze of the night began to engulf the sky, she stood up, dusting the small pebbles off her dress, gesturing to Drogon "Let's get back".

He huffed, and she rolled her eyes playfully before rubbing the small spot under his snout that he liked so much. His adamant glare softening as he lowered his neck willingly for her to climb.

Chuckling, she bunched the bottom of her dress up, "You are a mama's boy".

He didn't protest her point, his impressive wings extending, as they once again took flight. 

She tearfully looked back at the cliff face they'd spent the day sat upon, and she felt a piece of her heart crumble into the air, blowing away from her sorrowfully in the wind.

Maybe this is what she needed. A reminder, a reminder of the life lost but the life she still had, the life Drogon still had. 

She needed to start living, and the first step to that is forgiveness.

"We should come here more often" She murmured into the crook of his neck, as they flew through the orbs of moonlight that sliced through the cobalt sky. 

* * *

"There ya'are" Davos sighed, plopping himself into the chair on the balcony beside Jon.

"Aye" Jon nodded his head briefly, eyes never wavering from the site down below, too preoccupied with people watching to draw himself away to greet Davos properly.

"It's beautiful isn't it" Jon muttered.

Davos figured it wasn't a question "It is. It's quite a place she has here".

"Sometimes, King Landing feels like a dream- well a _nightmare_. When I see these people, what they call her, what she did for them. Davos- call me crazy, but it's not the same Daenerys from Kings Landing is it?" Jon asked apprehensively, an uncertain frown plaguing his lips.

Davos sighed, and Jon's brow furrowed curiously, wondering how long he'd been thinking the very same thing.

"The only difference between Daenerys the Breaker of Chains here, and Daenerys the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms is that people  _believed_  in her here, they still do. In Westeros she had no one, only the people who sailed across the narrow sea with her, and they either died fighting a battle they had no need to fight" Davos shot a knowing look Jons way bravely before continuing.

"Or they died at the hands of Cersei Lannister and her toyboy lover. She lost everything, everyone Jon" Davos sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I will never say that what happened at Kings Landing was okay, because trust me boy- it wasn't. But being here, it shows you she has a good heart. The same good heart we-  _you_ , saw when you first met her. That Daenerys isn't gone. She was just stripped down, until all that was left was just pain, anger, hurt, vengeance".

Davos paused and Jon couldn't help but notice the sadness growing heavily in his eyes, a similar sadness that showed whenever he spoke about Shireen.

"And where were we huh? We weren't there for her, and I don't wish to say how many times I've wondered how different things would of been if I'd took the time to get to know her better, taken her under m'wing the way I did you. It's to many to count, and maybe it's my own guilt that's asking me to help her  _now_. Or maybe the people of this great city who are indebted to her, for one reason or another make me _want_ to see what they see. She is a good person Jon, one bad act doesn't take all that she's done hear away".

Jon nodded slowly, "I know... I know. I still see good in her. I wouldn't of sent her Kinvara if I didn't. But every time- every time I feel myself gravitate towards her I-" He swallowed chest rising with panic as his mind fleeted to events he wished it wouldn't.

"Fire, blood, ruins, burning children- It's all I see... And I have to pull away. How am I ever supposed to move on" Jon looked down at the floor cowardly, fists tensed at his sides in aggravation.

Davos frowned sympathetically, "Sometimes Jon, good people do bad things. Sometimes bad people do good things. I don't think she's bad Jon. Just lost. Daenerys needs support, now more so than ever. So that she doesn't make the same mistake again. You need to let her forgive herself, before you try to forgive her. She needs to heal, you need to heal, we all  _need_  to fucking heal. But it takes time Jon. One day, as awful as it sounds, Kings Landing will just be another tale in the book. You won't remember their faces, or how their burnt flesh smelt. One day... you will forgive and to some extent forget".

Jon remained silent, thoughts toying with Davos's words. His brow creasing deeply in the centre "Aye... I guess your right" He muttered.

"Of course I am" Davos chuckled, trying his best to lighten the mood. "You know, yesterday while you went on an expedition with Grey Worm I spent the day with her" Davos mused.

Jon's brow raised, head tilted to the side as he looked across at Davos with endearment. 

"What did you do all day?" Jon asked, eyes creasing as he smiled.

"We read" Davos said simply. 

Jon frowned, "You... read?".

"Aye' we did" Davos nodded, before looking out over the balcony. "She is remarkable Jon. I wish the whole of Westeros had gotten a copy of that bleedin' book. Things would be so different now" Davos sighed, mulling over what could of been.

"It was a book about Meeren?" Jon asked, Davos's words to vague for him to understand what he was talking about.

"No" Davos mumbled, "A book about her... Daenerys". 

Jon's frown softened at the mention of her, eyes burning curious holes on the back of Davos's head.

"I wish we'd all given her a chance- I think she would make a great Queen" Davos uttered as he exhaled deeply.

Jon's head tilted to the side to face Davos better "Present tense? You think- you...".

"Aye- I think there's still a chance Jon" Davos told him earnestly. "Anyway- Look, I can't stay much longer, I'm going down to the village soon. I just wanted to give you this" Davos informed him, handing the book over to Jon.

Jon took it hesitantly, a perplexed frown filling his face. "Give it a read, it might do you some good" Davos nodded, before leaving Jon to sit alone on the balcony.

His fingers swept over the very obvious Targaryen Sigil on the front cover, _I'm part Targaryen too_ , the thought whirling around his head. 

They still hadn't discussed it... He still hadn't come to terms with it either. Whenever he and Daenerys were alone, it was the elephant in the room. The one topic neither one of them were brave enough to mention. 

He knew now wasn't the time, with all that had happened recently - he was sure it could wait. 

He shook of the feeling of having no identity, distracting himself by opening the book. He flipped to the first page, being welcomed with a familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar sight of Daenerys on the ivory page.

It was her, he knew that for certain. Nobody else in the world had her colouring's, her beauty _or_ her Dragons. Her clothes were different though, much more form fitting and thin than what he was accustomed to seeing. 

And her hair, it was all loose and curly. 

_She was younger, more free._

He marvelled at her beauty. Even in a book as a painting, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever had the pleasure of laying his eyes on. 

His thumb lingered across her face, and he merely stared at it silently. He shuffled around in his chair, until he reached a certain level of comfortableness, ducking his head further into the spine of the book.

And than alas, he began to read the life of Daenerys Targaryen. 

* * *

Jon didn't really realise where he was heading until he ended up outside her door, knuckles bravely tapping against the wood. He swallowed, feeling the heavy glare of the two soldiers stationed down the hall. He didn't look back to acknowledge them, he didn't need to. He wasn't doing anything wrong, was he?

When the door didn't open, he knocked again a little more urgently than before. Foot tapping nervously on and off the floor, until at last the door opened slightly.

He could only see one half of her face, but the near candle emphasised the redness in her whites of her eyes, the wetness of her cheeks.

She'd been crying. 

Her brow's flew upwards, an unsteady flicker in her eyes "Jon" She whispered in surprise, lips never meeting as her mouth hung open ajar.

"Is it a bad time?" He asked, leaning his head instinctively closer towards the door; staring at her with concern filled eyes.

Daenerys paused, glancing hesitantly at his face, and Jon prepped himself to be turned away. But to his surprise, she stepped away from the door, opening it wide enough for him to enter.

He swooped in without much delay, pausing awkwardly beside the chair as his eyes raced to her.

"You can sit down Jon" She muttered, jaw tense, irritated at his unnecessary hesitance. 

He sat down, gripping the book tightly in his lap. She hadn't noticed him holding it, just like she hadn't noticed that her night shirt had lowered across her chest. The pink swirl of her scar taunting Jon in the flickering candle light.

He looked away quickly, not wanting to make her feel conscious around him. He still couldn't face the everlasting mark of his actions that was bestowed upon her chest. It hurt like hell to see it with his own eyes, imagining how it must feel for her only dragged him further down into despair. 

"I've been out most of the day" She said, tone scarily numb.

Jon's eyes looked to her, but her icy blue eyes were staring mournfully at the floor. "He wants to go home".

Jon's brow twitched, "Who?".

"Drogon" She replied, never missing a beat.

Jon frowned, "Where is home?".

Daenerys shrugged, glassy eyes now fleeting upwards to meet Jons. "I guess- Well I don't know. It's not here... But I can't go Jon- not yet. Does that make me selfish? Does it make me bad?" She asked, voice straining as her lip began to wobble.

Jon swallowed tightly, not missing the way her tiny hands trembled in her lap, or how the guilty tears peaked over her lashes, running down her cheeks. She was so vulnerable, more vulnerable that he'd ever seen her. 

And here she was, opening up to him of all people.

Like a natural reflex, he rushed over towards her, kneeling at her side. He took her hands inbetween his, silently thankful when she didn't push him away. 

"It doesn't make you anything- certainly _not_ bad" He told her earnestly. "Sometimes, you just have to put yourself first" He reasoned.

She rolled her eyes, "But at what cost?" She snapped, although there was no heat to her voice. 

"I don't want to loose him too Jon. He's just not happy here" She cried, a huff surpassing her wet lips.

"But I'm sure he understands Dany" Jon sympathised, giving her hand another gentle squeeze.

"Your his mother, he  _loves_  you. I'm sure he'd rather be here- _with you_. Than on his own, right?" Jon asked, arching his brows up optimistically.

She nodded like she understood, but there was a reluctance in her eyes that Jon regrettably didn't miss. "Where did you go... today I mean?" Jon asked, steering the subject onto what he hoped would be a lighter one.

"We flew around for awhile and then-" She paused, words seemingly getting lodged in her throat.

"Not long after we arrived in Slavers Bay, me and my children- all of them. We sat on top of this cliff and the sun was below us. It was sunny, I remember it so well; it's almost quite sad really. Anyway- Drogon took me back there today. But it wasn't until I played with the grass with the tips of my fingers that I began to come to terms with my loss. Make some kind of peace if you will" She shrugged, eyes to embarrassed at her rambling to look Jon in the eyes, nervously waiting in anticipation for a reply.

She looked up towards him eventually, when the silence became to much, lip twitching into a hesitant smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"It will take time, lots and lots of time to recover" Jon muttered, "It will take me time to recover too" He added, hoping it would bring her some degree of comfort. Let her know, she wasn't the only one feeling a little lost.

"Recover from what?" She asked, frowning without thinking.

"You really have to ask?" He replied, a beat after.

She sighed in defeat, picking at the ends of her sleeve. "I'm sorry" She muttered.

Jon shook his head, "Don't apologise- it's okay". 

Silence followed quickly afterwards, and Jon scratched the back of his head; it wasn't until his eyes landed upon the book nestled into his lap that he remember his initial reason for visiting her at such late hours.

"Davos gave me this to read" Jon said, waving the book around in his hands.

Her eyes widened, but she didn't speak, eyes drawn to the book as he moved it around in his hands.

"What did you think?" She asked nervously, trying to ignore the way her heart felt like it was going to combust at any given moment.

"I loved it" Jon admitted, the skin around his eyes creasing softly, as he smiled warmly at her.

"Really?" Daenerys replied, lips remaining parted in surprise.

"Yes, _really_ " Jon confirmed, chuckling ever so lightly.

"I have to say though- you've changed". 

She stilled, _please don't say that_. _Please don't say I've changed. I haven't. I'm still good_ she wanted to scream.

But his eyes were still soft, and she ushered her fears to settle, he wasn't about to highlight her fears.  _He wouldn't._

"You've changed your look a lot. I must admit, I'm a little offended I never got to see you in your pretty summer dresses" Jon mused playfully.

She sighed in relief, smiling bashfully at him with full lips. "Didn't you like my winter wardrobe?" She asked, her tone cold in offence. Yet her eyes remained light and full of warmth.

His eyes darkened, and for a moment he debated leaning forward to kiss her full lips, to wipe the smug little smile off her face. But he refrained from doing so, it wasn't the time. 

"I love whatever you wear Dany" He mumbled, "Because _your_ wearing it".

They held one another's gaze, for what felt like a lifetime because Daenerys jumped up from her chair. 

"I will make sure to wear as many pretty summer dresses as I can" She smiled, before taking a sip of her nightcap. 

"Aye, I'm glad". 

"Can I ask some more questions?" He pried carefully, not wanting to suffocate her to much.

She was tired, Jon could tell just by the way her lashes would flutter when she blinked, but she seemed to ignore her body's pleas for rest, beaming, as she accepted his question with open arms.

"Of course, fire away" She motioned impatiently.

Jon smiled, knowing it would do her the world of good to discuss her life, her good life in Meeren;  _maybe we'll both sleep tonight._

"Tell me what the pits where like" Jon asked enthusiastically.

But her smile fell, shoulders slumping back into her chairs. "Oh".

"Well- slaves, poor people were made to fight; usually against their will. Most would die, or be significantly wounded enough that they were made to live, however long or short with their insufferable injuries. I can tell by your face, you thought it was different, no?" She asked him.

"Aye- Daario said yesterday it was just men fighting men- I didn't realise the people fighting were- were _slaves_ " Jon shrugged, face a little more flustered than he wanted to show.

"Never listen to a thing Daario says" Daenerys teased him, chuckling. 

Jon watched the fondness in her bright eyes at the mention of Daario and it rattled him much more than he cared to admit.

"Is he a fool?" Jon asked.

"You could say that. He often makes the best of every situation and fails to mention any of the bad. He was from the pits himself, you know" Daenery's brow raised.

Jon nodded, but remained silent.

"But you don't want to talk about him, do you?" Daenerys pried, hands toying with the stem of her cup. 

"Aye- is it that obvious?" Jon grimaced, becoming more socially aware of his tell tale expressions.

Daenerys chuckled, her eyes bright and wide.

_Happiness looked good on her_ Jon thought.

"Your magnificent" Jon mumbled, embarrassed eyes widening as his brain registered his words.

"I am?" She asked sheepishly.

"You were a girl- with nothing and you managed to gain an army- fuck it- a hoard" Jon grinned widely, head shaking subtly from side to side in disbelief.

"Your special Dany, truly you are" He muttered.

Her body momentarily stilled, and for a second Jon wondered if he'd said to much. If he'd crossed the invisible line that had been created between the two of them.

"I'm sorry" Jon held his hands in the air, "I'm sorry it's taken me this long to see how truly gifted you are". 

The was a sincerity in his voice, one that reminded Daenerys of their very first meeting back in Dragonstone. Her brows withered on her forehead, as she battled internally with her emotions.

"Thank you Jon" She muttered at last, tone far more reserved than Jon expected it to be.

He could see it, the battle she was having within herself. He hated how his actions had made her have to second guess herself, especially when around him. 

"I think I've taken up enough of your time. I'll let you rest" Jon nodded, before getting up to excuse himself from her chambers.

Daenerys nodded calmly, although disappointment was embedded in her eyes; yet she didn't act on it.

"Jon-" She called as his hand reached for the door handle.

"Thank you, I mean it" She called out slowly, the warmth of her voice sending shivers down his back. 

Jon nodded, although never turning to face her again as he exited her room.

_Time Jon. These things just take time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO sorry it's taken so long guys. I've been writing and writing and yeah- writing. I've got a shit ton of chapters written, it just takes me awhile to perfect them until I'm happy enough with them. I've started to draft my final chapters now though... I have a good feeling about this story. Please leave your thoughts below. To the people who comment on every chapter - I love you!!! Thank you :)))))


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it feels like a lifetime since I last updated. Don't hate me. READ AND ENJOY MY LOVES X

"This is crazy" Daenerys muttered nervously under her breath as she stared firmly back at her reflection in the vanity.

She'd managed to talk herself out and then back again into offering Jon an olive branch; by taking him sight seeing for the day. After their conversation yesterday, she felt closer to him, even if it were mere inches in the grand scheme of things.

Inches were a good enough excuse to try and build something with him again. Having him as a friend, would hopefully give her the much-needed push into beginning to start over; _fresh._

She brushed her loose curls through once more, slightly worried she'd eventually have no hair left to brush if she kept attacking it the way she had done for the last few minutes.

She was nervous, she hated to admit it. But she was. Taking this step, however small was a big part in her recovery and she was teetering on the edge of love and heartbreak.

Daenerys was scared, scared to the very core of being rejected, being hurt. 

_Again._

_But things are different now,_  she reasoned with herself. She was here, back in Meeren and each day she felt a small piece of her humanity come back to her. She'd cry one less tear at night, and Kings Landing would feel that little bit more like a horrible nightmare and not reality. 

Her and Jon weren’t at war, but they also _weren’t_ together. She wasn’t looking for love again, just a friend. Something she’d noticed she was lacking more and more, in the last few days.

She had  _no_ friends.

Daenerys wasn't perfect, she knew that. She often contemplated if she'd ever be as close to perfection as she was before her death.

But then she asked herself, was she ever really perfect before Kings Landing?

Had she not made rash decisions before, did she not allow her feelings however strong to cloud her judgement, fuel decisions that ultimately lead to consequences good  _and_  bad. 

 _I'm good,_  she told herself; shoulders hunching upwards sharply. Her eyes graced her saddened reflection once more, hoping one day soon she'd believe she was good.

She exhaled softly, wetting the edges of her lips with her tongue. She nodded briefly to herself, too nervous to crack even a small smile as she left the safety of her chambers.

Grey Worm was positioned outside her door, a common occurrence lately, he was there before the moon hung in the sky, and stayed there until the sun began to peak over the rolling hills.

Daenerys refrained from berating him for being there, knowing it came from a good place.

"You don't have to stand outside here anymore.  _I'm safe_ " She sighed, eyes bright and wide in the hope of convincing him.

Grey Worm scoffed, causing Daenerys's brows to raise, "Look" She paused, placing a careful hand onto his stiff shoulder. 

"I appreciate you doing this-  _protecting_  me. But I don't need it. Not when I have three of the best warriors I've ever seen, including  _yourself_ staying on the very same floor as me-".

"My Queen-".

"No" Daenerys interrupted him firmly, yet voice still as soft as silk "I need you to hear this. Stop staying awake all night outside my door. It's okay- you can... you can rest.  _Please_ " She urged him, desperate eyes pleading beneath her thick lashes.

"I can't" He shook his head.

"Yes, you can" Daenerys eased, the corners of her lips curling into a reassuring smile.

"No- I... I can't sleep. I miss her" He whispered limply, and the smile vanished from Daenerys's face.

"Oh" She frowned, recoiling her hand away slowly from his body.

"I'm sorry- I- I didn't realise... I should of" Daenerys gulped, looking to the floor, ashamed she hadn't noticed just how badly he had been struggling.

"No. Not your fault. I need to be strong" Grey Worm replied, standing a little taller, back straightening instinctively to counter the vulnerability that had accidentally filled his voice.

"You already  _are_  strong. Take some time... Anything you need, I will see to it" Her lips twitching into a sorrow filled smile.

"Thank you, my Queen" Grey Worm muttered, eyes getting softer by the second, as he bowed his head.

She kissed his cheek tentatively, before embracing him in a tight hug. "Take all the time you need. Should you need some help sleeping, I will arrange for some Milk of the Poppy to be left on your bedside" She whispered discreetly into his ear.

Grey Worm nodded briefly, before marching off down the corridor. Daenerys's eyes lingered on where he had just been standing, hoping desperately that her efforts would help ease the grief that seemingly consumed him.

Daenerys exhaled deeply, before walking slowly towards Jon's door, bracing herself as she knocked onto the thickened oak of his door.

She looked around, her guards nowhere to be seen, and by the Gods she was thankful nobody was there to witness her fidgeting around nervously like a small child, nerves swarming throughout her small frame.

She knocked again, a little more loudly than before and she cringed, glancing carefully at Daario's door, praying his door wouldn't open instead.

She knocked again growing tirelessly impatient, "Goddammit Jon" She hissed, thumping her fists against his door in frustration. 

And then the handle finally turned, a dishevelled Jon standing on the other side of the door. "What in seven hells- Dany?" Jon frowned, rubbing his eyes to make sure his blurred vision wasn't deceiving him.

"What are you- why?" Jon shook his head in confusion, his mouth open ajar as he stared wearily at her.

Daenerys chuckled in amusement, taking the few small steps inside his chambers, relieved he didn't protest when she did so.

"I would like to show you around the city,  _properly_ " She remarked, eyes gracing over the contents of his room quickly.

Jon smiled bashfully at her underhand reference to Grey Worms version of a guided tour of the city. Their shared a knowing look instinctively, but Daenerys turned away quickly, reminding herself that things were different between them now.

"You do realise how early it is?" Jon asked, eyes following Daenerys as she walked over towards his bed.

She hummed in response, far too preoccupied with discreetly filling her lungs with his familiar intoxicating scent.

Daenerys bit down a smile at his messy bed linen, and the clothes piled high at the end of his bed. He was always messy, and she was secretly glad that he hadn't changed. 

Ghost was in amongst the thin cotton sheets draped across Jon's bed, his frame so large it covered the length of the bed.

"He's so beautiful" Daenerys muttered, not noticing Jon's heavy gaze on her back as she bent down to nuzzle below Ghost’s ear.

"Aye" Jon agreed, "He is".

"Well... I'll leave you to get ready. I don’t want to waste a single second of daylight" Daenerys exhaled, eyes wide in apprehension as she hurried outside onto his balcony, leaving Jon no opportunity to object.

Daenerys stood infront of the sheer drapes of Jon's room, her mind conjuring up thoughts that it shouldn't. She fantasied about the colouring of Jon’s skin, and how pale his torso would be in comparison to his newly tanned face and arms.

It took all of her will power to not turn around and peek through the drapes to catch a glimpse of him. 

But she refrained from doing so, it wasn't right. There was a boundary there between them, cities long and rivers deep. She wouldn't betray him like that, not ever.

When the drapes parted, and Jon's head appeared, she lost the ability to speak for a few short seconds. 

She had always loved him in his armour, it was rugged, a devilishly turn on if there ever was such a thing.

But the sight of him, with softer, fairer hair and a gentle tan to his cheeks did something to her, in a way North Jon never did.

She loved the white linen shirts he wore, and how the upper section was always unbuttoned to reveal a tiny glimpse of his chiselled chest.

She liked the way he rolled his sleeves up, so that it finished just above his elbow, complimenting his muscular physic much more than layers of heavy grey armour ever could.

The sun looked good on him, she concluded. 

Daenerys didn't realise how intensely she'd been staring at him, until Jon cleared his throat; a smirk toying at the very corner of his pink lips. 

"I asked if you’re ready,  _My Queen_ " Jon repeated, amusement dancing around in his eyes like candle light.

Daenerys nodded silently, smoothing down the fabric of her royal blue dress as a means of distraction from having to look into his eyes. 

They walked together in a peaceful silence, Jon only picking up the courage to speak once they had left the grounds of the Pyramid.

"You look beautiful" He whispered, keeping his nervous eyes firmly on the path ahead, hoping she wouldn’t neglect his compliment.

She bit down a smile, exhaling slowly "Thank you Jon".

They exchanged an awkward glance, before Jon steered the conversation in a difference direction, one he hoped wouldn't make his cheeks flush so obviously.

"Where are we going?" He asked, kicking a pebble with the tip of his boot.

"You'll see" Daenerys replied dryly, before quickening her pace, leaving a small yet noticeable distance between the two of them.

When they finally reached a clearing, Jon's feet came to a sudden standstill.

"Dany..." He looked across to her, frowning wearily at Drogon who lay on a small patch of grass, amber eyes fluttering open at the arrival of his Mother.

"It's alright Jon" Daenerys eased, surrendering her hands infront of her chest "I thought we could ride today. You can see so much more of the city from above" She beamed, before walking over to Drogon, not an ounce of hesitance in her small but steady strides. 

Jon remained as far away as possible, feeling as though the world had been drained of oxygen in the process of Daenerys leaving his side.

He watched on silently, not being able to hide his smile as he observed the way she interacted with her child. The way Drogon bumped her with his snout, and how she clung to him as if he was the softest thing in the world. 

 _To Daenerys, I guess he is_  Jon concluded.

But then the moment he had been dreading, and half believed wouldn't happen; happened. 

She turned around, smile apprehensive yet bright as she gestured for Jon to come over; _to join them._

Jon knew it was a bad idea, but he hated the thought of disappointing her; she looked the happiest he'd seen her in a while and he didn't want to ruin that.

He took a few small steps, eyes glued to Drogon.  _Show no fear_ , he told himself. But it was hard when Drogon glared at him the very same way he did before in the throne room.

Once Jon had reached halfway, he stopped mouthing firmly to Daenerys. "I think I'll stay here. This is far enough".

She shook her head defiantly, "No, come on. It's okay" Daenerys reasoned, outstretching her arm towards Jon, coaxing him forward. 

Jon gave in, taking one hesitant step over half way, one foot closer to Daenerys, one step closer to Drogon.

But then all hell broke loose.

It was Daenerys who shouted first, shouting at Drogon to stop and come back to her. But the Dragon was rearing his neck upwards, screeching to the point where it deafened Jon's right ear so profusely, it numbed it, the noise ringing repetitively inside his head.

He took a short stride closer towards Jon, lunging his neck forward until he was close enough for Jon to touch him: not that Jon ever would.

"Drogon" Daenerys called out again, with much more fear than before. A wave of dread chilled her core, Drogon was ignoring her, he wasn't listening, he wouldn't back away. 

Jon couldn't see Daenerys anymore, Drogon's body consuming his view, but he could hear her pleas. Jon remained still, swallowing down his need to tell Daenerys it was okay for her child to swallow him whole,  _he deserved it_.

"Stop, stop right now!" Daenerys shouted, desperation filling her shaky voice. She appeared at Drogon's side, positioning herself into his view. "Drogon, please" She whispered, chest heavy as she felt her control slipping away little by little. 

Drogon's features eventually softened, Jon no longer his main concern as he retreated away from Jon and back towards his mother. 

Drogon snaked his body around her, protecting her, shielding her.

 _From me,_ the look of realisation and horror etched onto Jon's face.

Daenerys turned to Drogon, tears lining the corners of her sad eyes "Drogon, hey- hey". Her hand rubbed over the length of his snout, until the Dragons wings slowly eased back onto the ground, encasing his Mother within the safety of his grasp.

She was crying, Jon could tell by how she had composed her body. She was trying to hide her tears from him, and Jon hated that she refused to show him her tears. 

 _She's not like before_ , he reminded himself. _We're not the same as we were before._ The voice in his head spoke sense, but it didn't make it any easier to hear. They were fractured souls, different yet still the same. 

He refrained from walking towards her, not wanting to upset the current calmness surrounding her and Drogon. 

"Dany" Jon shouted, not missing the way her body momentarily stilled at his voice. "Are you alright?".

She hesitated for a moment, probably to wipe the reminisce of her tears off her cheeks, before turning around slowly to face him.

"Yes. I'm fine. Let's- go" She nodded, a firm smile taking a hold of her lips. She swept her fingers across Drogon's scales, when she noticed the change in his eyes at the prospect of her leaving with Jon.

She kissed his snout, eyes lingering on his, assuring him it was okay; she would be safe. But Drogon pulled himself away in retaliation, screeching loudly again, yet Daenerys felt this time, his anger was aimed at her.

Drogon took off angrily, leaving a trail of dust clouds behind, as he soared high into the clouds. Daenerys watched on sadly, lips silent as she retreated back towards Jon's stoic figure.

Jon didn't push her to talk about what had just happened, they both needed a moment to gather themselves together. So they took off back down the hill, Drogon's distant cries the only noise to be heard for miles.

* * *

They'd walked for a short while, in an uncomfortable silence. Eventually Daenerys rose her head a little higher, and then her voice broke through the silent void, much to Jon's relief. 

"Jon... I'm sorry" She muttered at last, shoulders slumping in disappointment.

"I was naive, I thought- I thought it would have gone  _differently_ \- and now… now I think I’ve lost him" She admitted through a hesitant breath, her jaw unforgivably shaking at the prospect of losing the only other part of herself that she had left.

“You haven’t lost him, he’s just- mad. Listen, this isn’t something I want to discuss- hell I know you don't either. But- When I... when I did what I did, Drogon came to you seconds after. Almost like he knew..." Jon trailed off, throat constricting tightly as he winced at the painful memory.

She didn't look up from the ground, and Jon was unable to read the situation, unable to read her thoughts and feelings. When she didn't protest for him to stop talking, he wearily carried on.

"I thought he was going to kill me" Jon admitted, remembering it like it had happened only yesterday. "He got so close to me- I was prepared, I was ready for death".

Daenerys's taut mouth twitched, a clear furrow to her brow at Jon's admission that he was, for a short moment,  _contempt_  with death.

"Anyway- when I thought he was going to burn me alive, he moved last second and melted the throne. Daenerys... I'm only telling you this so that you understand why he reacted the way he did. He saw me holding you,  _his mother_  in my arms; hands covered _in your blood_ ".

His tone wavered, his coolness diminishing when he noticed her empty frown. He immediately started to regret bringing the subject up, the fear rising in his chest with each second of her silence.

"Look" He sighed, stilling both of their steps when he placed a gentle hand on her bare shoulder.

It was like volts of lightening had entered her body, the feeling electrifying her very soul, travelling to every corner of her body with force. 

He felt it to, she knew he did. Yet neither one of them commented on it.

"I know your unhappy about what just happened. But I expected it- so unless you plan to have me killed on purpose, please don't organise a surprise meeting between the two of us again" Jon's eyes softened, as he tried to make light of a very bleak situation.

“I’m sorry it didn’t go the way you hoped. I’m sorry for all of it” He added when her frown didn't dissolve.

“I guess he still needs time, like I did” Daenerys shrugged, trying to erase the disappointment from her voice, but failing miserably.

Jon’s breath got caught in his throat, her words taking him completely by surprise. Had she forgiven him? He toyed with the idea for a few seconds, assuming her offer to take him through the city unguarded was a clear indication to her forgiveness. 

But she was still reserved, still surrounding herself with impenetrable walls. Not that Jon could blame her, yet it muddied the waters around them. He didn't know where he stood, but, right now wasn't the time to start asking those kind of questions.

“Shall we... continue our day of exploring" Jon suggested, in hopes of distracting her enough to eventually erase the cloud that loomed over her head.

"Okay" Daenerys sighed, not caring to hide the sadness embedded within her eyes as she took off briskly infront.

Jon hung back, letting her once again take the lead as he followed her through one of the markets. 

It was silent again between them, silence becoming a normality it seemed. But Jon didn't seem to mind. His eyes flickered from one distinctive building to the next. Meeren wasn't like anything he'd ever seen before, the city enticing him far more than anywhere he'd ever been before.

Every so often, they'd pass a window or a column; above it a Targaryen flag hung proudly. A smile ghosted over his lips; an obvious remind that this was her's.

A place Daenerys had rescued and rebuilt from the _goodness_ of her heart.

His eyes found her lonesome figure standing beside some ruins. Jon sucked in a panicked breath, confused how he hadn't realised how far she'd drifted away from him.

He approached her slowly, not wanting to spook her as he stopped just short of her hunched shoulders, eyes welcoming the sight that Daenerys had spent so long staring at.

They were near the edge of a cliff, the brazen waves crashing below them, it was peaceful, soothing. 

"Are you alright?" Jon asked, turning sideways to catch a glimpse of her face.

"I thought I was" She muttered honestly. "But no... I don't think I am". 

Jon swallowed, building the courage to pry inside her head. "You can talk to me Dany, you know that".

Daenerys nodded, although her eyes were laced with severe uncertainty. "I miss it" She muttered glumly, mouth still open ajar.

"I miss- feeling love" Her brows curled upwards, a pained expression filling her creamy skin.

"You  _are_  loved" Jon reminded her, essence of heartbreak toying within his eyes.

"No. I  _was_  loved. The people here... I've been away for so long Jon. Ask anyone what my favourite flower is, or the song I hum in a morning. Nobody knows... the only people who did are dead" She wiped her finger swiftly beneath her eye, scared the tears she was trying to hold back would break free.

"Nobody loves _me..._ I sound so stupid, how petulant do I sound? _Poor little me, nobody loves me"_   She snapped, shaking her head in aggravation, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she berated herself.

"Hey" Jon warned, reaching for her hand quickly. "I know the song you hum in the morning, I know you always leave one foot outside the bed linen, because you feel more comfortable that way. I know that-".

Daenerys sighed, shaking her head "You don't understand Jon. You- your _different_ ".

Jon bit his lip, panic arising in his chest "You are loved. You see your banners hanging up everywhere? Even when you've been gone for so long, they _still_ hang from every building".

Jon paused, eyes flickering to Daenerys and back, a finger resting on his temple, as he tried to remember the exact name they had called Daenerys when she had appeared on the shore.

" _Mysha, Mysha_ ” Jon recited the words, and Daenerys gasped, eyes lightening in awe.

"Your their _Mysha_ " He repeated again, a little more confidently.

He'd been practising the language, she could tell by the placement of his tongue as he pronounced the words. Her heart was alight once more, an occurrence that had only ever seemed to happen within his presence.

She didn't know if he'd been learning the language for her, or for his own benefit. Nonetheless, she was _deeply_ touched by it.

“You have love here, everyone loves you Dany. It seems the only problem here is that you don't love yourself, and that makes you think your unworthy of their love too".

Daenerys observed him quietly, wondering when he became so wise. Her frown eased, and she found herself squeezing his hand that was still clasped alongside hers tightly.

"Where was this Jon when I needed him-" She stopped talking, tugging her hand away from his. "I'm sorry. That was wrong of me" Daenerys sighed, looking guiltily back out across the shore.

Jon didn't seem at all phased by her sly comment, and she half wondered if it was because he had gotten used to it. Her vicious, off handed remarks every once in a while. 

"Your right" He acknowledged, wiping his glistening wet brow. 

Daenerys stumbled if only for a second, surprised by his agreement.

"I should have been there for you- before. I wish that things were different, that I'd kept you close, put you first" Jon admitted.

"We were at war" Daenerys countered, not missing the small lift of his lips when she used his own words against him.

"Aye. It's still no excuse. I should have tried harder. I should have listened to you about my sister, I should have been more considerate about you- everything you lost for me-".

"I didn't fight for Winterfell _just_ for you Jon" Daenerys replied calmly, not allowing him to self-blame for things out of his control. 

"Obviously, you bought the threat to my attention, and because I love you, I helped aid your fight. I wanted to fight. But the threat of the Dead would still have been there if I'd taken the Iron Throne first. Either way I would have had to fight. I just wanted to fight alongside _you_ ". 

Jon exhaled slowly, "I see... even so. You lost a lot for the North, _for me_ " Jon smiled sadly, eyes dropping downwards to follow the lines of waves that crashed below their feet.

"Whilst we're on the subject of revisiting the past, I need to say sorry too" Daenerys muttered, angling her body so that she was facing Jon directly. 

"I should have comforted you about your heritage. You told me once, that I only cared for the throne. That wasn't true- I cared for you. I should never have pulled away, when you gave me no excuse to".

She paused, trying her best to settle the emotion that began to fill her voice. 

"For that I am sorry. If I hadn't been so defensive, if I had just stopped to ask how you felt, maybe things would be different now" She muttered suggestively. 

The air was thick with painful memories, and Jon couldn't revel in the painful silence any longer.

"There's no point talking about the past and what could have been. We're only hurting ourselves by doing so. We need to move on, start over maybe... Together?".

_Together._

Daenerys wondered what that meant, she was afraid she'd never be able to let him in the way she had before. She was scared she'd never be able to put down her walls, never be able to trust another.

She took a breath, silencing her thoughts. Reminding herself that she wasn't a coward and that she would regret not embarking on this new self journey with him for the rest of her life, if she didn't agree.

"Together" She repeated, accepting what she presumed was _his_ olive branch.

"We should talk more" Jon suggested, pulling her away from the edge of the cliff and back towards the nearest village.

"Not talking is what got us into this web of anguish in the first place. So- let's change it. Lets... talk" He licked his lips nervously, always feeling naked under her magnetising stare. 

"Okay" Daenerys whispered, holding her heavy gaze on Jon much longer than needed. 

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to talk about me... and my parentage" He squirmed uncomfortably, not knowing how touchy the subject still was for her. Although he figured, now there was no Iron Throne, the threat for her was gone. That and the fact he knew he'd never take away something that belonged to her, regardless of pointless bloodlines and birthrights. 

"If that's what you want to discuss Jon, that's fine" Daenerys eased, smiling as a means of reassurance.

"How did it feel, when you found out?" She asked, taking Jon by surprise with her forwardness.

"Empty" Jon shrugged.

"I didn't believe it, a small part of me still doesn't. I've spent my life in the North, surrounded by people, _everyone_ knowing who I was. What I was. Ned Starks _bastard_ " He scoffed, the words leaving a sour taste in his mouth as he relived the years of torment he'd suffered at the hands of his birthright. 

His _lie_ of a birthright.  

"Ned was the most honourable man I've ever known; I wish he'd told me. Even just _hinted_ that I wasn't some runt of the litter, some bastard. That I wasn't Jon Snow" He clenched his teeth together, and Daenerys wanted nothing more than to reach out to him and ease his pain. 

"It hurts, my whole life was built on a lie. And even though that lie has been exposed it changes nothing. I don't know much about my mother, or my father and I'll never get the chance". His eyes dropped the floor, reeling that he'll never see or feel their love with his own two eyes. 

The love that caused a war. 

"I don't feel any different, I don't feel better than anyone else, I just feel the same. I'm just me" He shrugged.

"It's okay to feel nothing, it’s okay to feel everything" Daenerys sympathised. "It's not black and white. It's not wrong if you cry about it, or get angry, or just simply stay the same. What you chose to do with your real identity, it down to you and _only_ you". 

"I think my wiseness is rubbing off on you" Jon chuckled softly.

Daenerys flushed, her laugh as light as a feather. It warmed the very pit of Jon's stomach, so much so his grey thoughts began to evaporate.

"I could teach you about your- _our_ family if you'd like?" She tried to cover up her error, not wanting to make it any stranger than it already was.

She knew however, it would take awhile to get used to it. Having another living family member, who is also her ex lover. The latter seeming to make the situation that little bit more delicate. 

"I have some books stored in a case beneath my bed. Perhaps we could read together? I wasn't born when my- sorry" She sighed, growing agitated with herself. She was never one to make the same mistake twice; or so she thought.

"O _ur_ family were slaughtered, so I don't know much. But I'm sure I'll know enough to perhaps... make you feel closer to them. _Your family_ " She titled her head to the side, waiting with bated breath for Jon to reject her offer.

But he didn't, his eyes softened and he nodded, although with caution "Only if you'd like to. I don't want to push you into this". 

"Not at all" Daenerys shook her head, "I would like to tell you about the great House Targaryen". 

Daenerys hoped she wasn't coming on to strong, but she was suddenly trying to cling onto the idea of Jon embracing his Targaryen heritage, and maybe she wouldn't feel so alone anymore. 

"I'd like that Dany. I'd like that alot" Jon smiled at her with such admiration, thrown by her courage to openly talk about something he knew she was often reserved about. 

He knew it must be as hard for her to welcome his true identity as much as it is for him to. 

Daenerys tugged on Jon's arm, leading him down the steep cobbled steps that lead to the deserted shoreline. His eyes landed on their intertwined hands, and he felt something inside that he hadn't felt in a long time.

**Hope.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long guys. I've been really ill. I've written lots of sections for different chapters & I've already written the next chapter which I'll upload at the end of the week.  
> This fic at the second is filled with lots of fluff & deep conversations... BUT please be warned, this fic will change course soon, and then again, and then again. I am so excited to share my story with you all & hope you all enjoy reading it, as much as I do writing it.  
> All love :)


	13. Chapter 13

“You Father was a brilliant man” Daenerys muttered, the sea breeze carrying her words delicately through the air.

“He was the _bravest_ ” Her eyes were alight with admiration, yet speckled with tinges of sadness at talking about the brother she never got to know. 

“He would have loved you Jon, more than anything in the world. I  _know_  it” Daenerys muttered, words free of doubt. Her eyes held Jon’s silent stare until she felt he at least _half_   believed her. 

She understood why he would find her words empty, she didn't know her brother, she didn't know a damn thing. But she was  _trying_ , and she knew that meant something to Jon.

“He was kind, and valiant, everybody loved him- he was far better than Viserys-”. She paused sharply, sucking in her cheeks to stop the crack in her voice from escaping. 

“I wish I’d met him, wish I'd got to sit on his shoulders as he ran around the garden..” Daenerys trailed off, orbs of sadness engulfing her dilated pupils. 

Her fingers stilled mid air, “That’s what I imagined he’d be like in my dreams anyway. Kind. The best big brother a little girl could ever wish for” She admitted quietly. 

“He loved your mother so much Jon”. 

Jon nodded, brisk and dismissive, he wasn’t ready to talk about his Mother yet. The Mother he never got to love, or be looked after by.

“Thank you, Dany” Jon smiled tightly.

“Did I say something wrong?” She frowned, already feeling her insides burning up. 

“No, not at all” Jon assured her, “It’s just a lot, that’s all”.

“Do I look like him?” Jon asked, body shifting nervously, eyes deterring from looking at Daenerys as she contemplated her answer. 

“No... You must have your mothers looks” She smiled sympathetically, “But you have his attributes. You Jon Snow  _are_  brave, valiant, heroic”. 

She withdrew from creating anymore similarities between Rhaeger and Jon, the unnerving quiver to Jon's lip an obvious indication that he was struggling. 

“I can stop... if you’d like?” Daenerys asked wearily.

Jon shook his head, having a sudden change of heart. Not feeling this close and connected to someone in a long time. “No, tell me more” He urged, positioning himself closer to her.

She obliged, ducking her head down, absentmindedly drawing circles on the sand with her index finger. 

“I don’t know much of your Mother. You will know more than me. I wish I’d gotten to meet him... and her- I’ve always fantasised about the women who stole my brothers heart, and what destruction it caused”. 

She momentarily froze, hoping Jon didn’t take offence to her comment. She meant no offence, she had always envied the love of others. The love of two souls that knew they were meant to be. 

Once upon a time, she felt that way with Drogo. But he was taken from her, and for awhile she didn't believe in the greatest gift of all; love.

_Not until a rugged, small man arrived on her shores; asking for help against the dead._

Jon's empty stare didn't change, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes, his expressionless face a clear give away that he wasn’t listening to her. 

“Jon?” Daenerys whispered, her finger swiping across his fist that was planted firmly in the wet sand. 

“What are you thinking about?” She asked innocently. 

Jon sighed, shifting his body in discomfort of what he was about to ask. “What was your father like?”.

His question hung in the air, and Daenrys shuddered, the sea breeze feeling much colder and brazen at the mention of her Father.

Daenerys froze, eyes slowly drifting back towards the sand, shoulders drooping “Oh”. 

Jon instantly regretted his question and reached out for her hand. But she dismissed him, “No, it’s okay. I’m just thinking where to begin”.

Daenerys cleared her throat, her tight smile not convincing enough for Jon, yet he let her continue. 

“Like Rhaegar, I never got to meet him. But I know my Father was a wicked man Jon. He hurt my mother, treated her dreadfully so I’ve been told. He went mad... that part is true”. 

Her eyes were downcast, clouded over in something that Jon couldn’t quite fathom. 

"Rhaegar was nothing like my Father, my Father let paranoia and power swallow him up whole". 

Jon nodded swiftly, "Do you think Rhaegar would have been different?".

"Yes" Daenerys snapped, a little defensively.

"He wasn't some _rapist_ Jon. He loved your Mother. He loved his family. Everyone waited for my Father to step down, so Rhaegar could rule. People _believed_  in him". 

"Dany- I didn't mean it like that. I just, I don't know anything, remember? I'm sorry for all the questions" Jon grumbled. 

"Can I ask you something?" Daenerys said, flipping the conversation around.

"Of course" Jon nodded.

“Do you think I’m like him Jon? Do you think I have the Targaryen madness? Rhaegar didn't fall victim to it- But Viserys did” Her voice was firm, eyes unshakeable as she waited with bated breath for his response. 

Each second of silence that passed, made everything seem grey. For a moment Daenerys considered running into the waves and never surfacing. But then like an angelic sign, Jon’s voice clear and adamant pulled her back from her internal brink of despair. 

“No, your not mad Dany” He told her sincerely. 

“Aren’t I?” Daenerys countered. 

Jon’s brows twitched in confusion, unsure of where this was going. "Everyone knows about the Mad King. He may be _your_ Father, but your nothing like him".

“I was convinced everyone around me had betrayed me,  _just_  like my father” She flipped one finger outwards, beginning to mark off her list. 

Her second finger outstretched “I burned someone alive that didn’t agree with me anymore”.

Jon went to protest, knowing Vary's underhand intentions were to blame, but she held a hand out to stop him from talking. 

“My father burned who he wanted, when he wanted. Innocent or not. I... I burned...”.

She curled her hands into tiny fists, as the tears started to spill over her lash line. She couldn't say it, say what she had done. 

“I _burned_ people Jon” She muttered in horror, squeezing her eyes shut tightly in the hope of stopping anymore tears from spilling. 

“Children... _innocent_ children” She spat, lips curled up in disgust. "Meeren is full on innocents too. I saved them. Why didn't I save the people of Kings Landing?!".

She felt Jon shuffle beside her, his hands eventually planting themselves on either side of her shoulders. 

“Dany” He whispered softly, knowing her mission to free the people of Kings Landing from Cersei was originally sincere. 

She opened her eyes, vision blurred by her tears, trying to rebuff the comfort of his hands. She didn't deserve comfort for owning up to her unforgivable actions. 

She pulled her fourth finger out, her hand shaking uncontrollably “I guess I outdid my father. I killed thousands- probably more than he _ever_ did” She shouted angrily.

She hated everything, she hated the tears running down her cheeks, she hated the taste of sea salt that wouldn't seem to leave her tongue. She hated the way her dress felt tight, tighter than it ever had before; she felt as though she couldn't breathe. 

Jon was silent, numb to his very core at the sight of Daenerys, delirious infront of him.

"Your not fucking mad" He cursed, pushing her backwards until she lay on her back on the sand.

She fought against him, her tiny hands punching and clawing at his chest. But it was nothing but a minor inconvenience for Jon, his one hand strong enough to hold both of her wrists above her head.

"Stop" He sighed, breath low and heavy.

"Yes, you burned thousands of people. Some innocent. Some not. It doesn't make you mad. What you did _was_ wrong... But. You. Are. Not. Your. Father".

Their eyes locked, and for the first time Jon felt that she was actually looking _at_ him, rather than through him. The fight within her left, her hands becoming limp against Jon's grip. 

"How do I make the feeling go away? How do I rid myself of that sin" Daenerys asked, desperation oozing from her clouded eyes. 

She'd do anything, anything to correct her wrong doings. Anything to feel like the Queen they _chose_. 

"You do better" Jon muttered, loosening his grip on her wrist when she stopped fighting. 

"You make up for what you did, you- you don't make the same mistake again. You are good, I've seen it. I know it. I believe in yo-".

At first, Jon thought he had dreamt it. Her wet lips on his. But then her vanilla and spice scent burned up his nostrils, and he knew it was real. 

It was hasty and needy. The salt from her tears pressing against the minor split in Jon's lip. By god, she had kissed him.

But as quickly as she had kissed him, she pulled herself away; Jon never even having the chance to react to what she'd just done.

"I'm sorry" She huffed, her face growing paler by the second, the passion in her eyes diminishing.

"Dany, I-".

"We _won't_ speak of this" She gestured firmly between their bodies, only inches apart. "I shouldn't of done it. It was wrong". Her jaw was tight, and Jon knew she wouldn't back down.

"Okay- okay" Jon replied quickly, pulling himself away to put more needed space between them.

"Anyway" Daenerys began, her eyes looking anywhere but at Jon. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?". She folded her arms tightly across her chest, her internal fire beginning to burn out. 

Jon no longer felt like talking about his family. The slowly drying tears on Daenerys cheeks a silent reminder that he was opening up  _her_  old wounds too.

"Let's leave it for today. I don't want to push this on you. Do you want to start heading back?" Jon asked wearily.

Daenerys nodded, her lips pushed tightly together as she rose up from off the sand. She wiped her dress down, feeling exposed under Jon's heavy stare. 

She didn't take his hand as they walked back up the stairs, and she didn't speak another word for the rest of the journey home.

Jon was unsure if her silence was because of the mention of her family, and the reminder of the damage and chaos she had caused in Kings Landing.

Or the fact she had kissed him.

Perhaps, it was both. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do we want to see more discussions of the Targ family??? I sure as hell do.  
> This is very short. I know! It's a filler chapter for what comes next. Here's a hint.  
> Hot weather + a Northern man + no water = ??????


	14. Chapter 14

The journey back to the Pyramid felt a million times longer than the journey from it. The lack of conversation only magnifying the uncomfortable distance between the two of them.

The heat that fell from the cloudless sky made everything shimmer, like a mystical spell had been cast on the miles and miles of golden sand.

Everything was fuzzy, alive and electric with heat.

Daenerys wasn't fazed by the heat, and Jon quietly brooded at her from behind for awhile, jealous that not even a small part of her seemed affected by the oppressing heat.

Sweat poured in rivers down Jon's face, and occasionally, his tongue would shamefully slip out to catch a drop as it ran down his cheek. It soothed his dry throat, if only for one short gulp.

Daenerys still hadn't spoken, though her absent eyes told Jon she was thinking, long and hard.

He couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

She surprised him however, when her feet slowed down and she soon took to walking alongside him rather than stalking off infront.

"Jon, are you alright?" Daenerys asked, reaching out to wipe away the building wetness on his forehead, not flinching in the slightest as her fingers became encased with his sweat. 

Jon convinced himself he was fine, voicing his protest audibly when Daenerys's unconvinced brow began to arch in concern.

"Jon?" She muttered urgently.

Jon turned to face her, when suddenly her face disappeared, a headless Daenerys Targaryen enough to immobilise him.

His squinted eyes widened in alarm, as he rubbed aggressively at his eye sockets "Daenerys?" He whispered, voice riddled with panic and confusion.

His vision began to blur, the only familiar thing was the sound of Dany's soft voice. But it sounded so far away, yet he was certain she'd been beside him only a minute ago.

Jon called her name, or at least he think's he did. He can't remember, he can't feel anything. 

Everything just felt, heavy.

That was the word bouncing around inside Jon's head.

Heavy.

His feet, his arms, his chest, his eyes. It was like a blind force was pulling him downwards, pulling his lids over his eyes; numbing his body in its entirety.

He tried to mouth to Daenerys that he took his previous words back, he didn't feel fine at all but his mouth ignored his command, staying shut, refusing to release his pleas for help.

Jon tried to turn around, blindly searching for Daenerys, but his neck rolled around, flimsy on his shoulders.

He went to take another step, but he dropped like an anchor in the sea, until he found himself on all fours, his chin scraping off the gravel, his normally quick reflexes nowhere to be seen.

Then everything seemed to go black. 

"Jon, _Jon_?" Daenerys frowned, words rushed as she fell on to her knees at his side.

Struggling, she managed to roll him over onto his back, her normally dainty hands rough on his linen shirt as she yanked at his unconscious body.

She was hyperventilating, hands slapping his cheeks so briskly she was half scared it would leave permanent red marks. But she was desperate for him to wake, for him to say her name, for him to do frankly, _anything._

But Jon was slurring, his mouth merely inches apart. Daenerys's panicked heaving increased, her eyes fleeting around their location as she tried to figure out what to do next. 

Daenerys let out a sigh of defeat, hanging her head low towards his clammy chest. She knew what she had to do, but it didn't make it any easier to go.

"I'll be back, I promise" She whispered softly to Jon, hesitating hands still grasping onto his thin white shirt as she rose up from the floor.

Using all her might, she managed to pull his body across the sand, perching him safely underneath the shade of a fallen tree branch. 

Daenerys hesitated for a moment, asking herself if this was the best way to save him. She knew deep down, it was the only way. She took off, running as quickly as she could back towards the nearest village, not risking looking back at him.

Unconscious and alone.

Scared she wouldn't carry on if she did. 

Whispers travelled around the city that the Queen had arrived back at the Pyramid, frantic and delirious asking for her personal Maester, and a group of the Unsullied.

Daario, at first paid no attention to the chaos outside the Pyramid walls. But when he heard Daenerys's pleas for help, he appeared within seconds, a hand on her shoulder that settled her breathing.

Several of the Unsullied followed their Queen on the return journey back to Jon. Daenerys a few feet out infront, quickly running back towards the place she'd left Jon.

Daenerys was relieved he was still there, yet disheartened that he was still unresponsive. "Take him to his room, do what you need to help him". 

Her Maester nodded his head in understanding, bidding the Queen farewell as he followed the group of Unsullied back to the Pyramid. 

Daenerys hung back to catch her breath, the image of Jon being lifted onto a stretcher by the Unsullied made her chest feel heavy, it made her heart ache. 

"Do you need a hand?" Davos asked, appearing at her side like a savoir.

She smiled appreciatively, allowing him to hoist her out of breath body up. "Thank you Ser Davos". 

They walked side by side, both sharing a similar tight lipped frown of concern. 

"He'll be alright your Grace" Davos muttered discreetly as they braved the first flight of stairs towards the Pyramid's entrance.

"I know" Daenerys replied quickly.

Her quickness was dually noted by Davos as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

" _He will be fine_ " Davos held her firm gaze until he was satisfied that she was listening.

They were shoulder to shoulder as they travelled the length of the corridors that were set out like a maze throughout the Pyramid. 

When they finally reached Jon's room, both were unusually silent. Jon had been placed onto his bed, the slow rise and fall of his chest settling Daenerys's fears for the time being.

"Leave his shirt on" Daenerys ordered one of the hand maidens from Daario's quarters. "He likes his chest covered". 

Daenerys knew how uncomfortable Jon was about the showing of his chest, and the tale it held. The woman followed Daenerys's request, her hands unbunching his shirt quickly. 

Davos hung back beside the doorway, nudging Daenerys forward with his hand, knowing she wouldn't have left his side otherwise.

She turned to face him, her eyes seemingly speaking the words that her mouth couldn't. 

_Please stay._

Davos tilted his head briefly, before dragging a chair across the room and placing it by Jon's bedside. 

"I'll sit on this, and you should take the free spot on the bed. I'm sure he'd rather wake up to seeing you, than my 'airy mug" Davos chuckled.

This conjured a smile from Daenerys, "Okay then". 

She settled cross legged beside Jon's sleeping body, paying close attention to keep an honourable amount of distance between them.

It didn't last long as a flicker of white rushed into the room. Ghost, propped up on two legs to sniff at Jon's body, before he sprang onto the bed, stretching himself across the majority of it.

Ghost whined, his large paw prodding into Jon's side. Daenerys reached out instinctively, stroking through Ghost's long white fur to calm him. 

Eventually Ghost lay his head on Daenerys's lap, his lids slowly closing. He began to snore gently, and Daenerys gave Ser Davos a quizzical look. 

"Is he alright?!" She asked, her hands stopping in his fur briefly. 

"Aye your Grace" Davos smiled, easing her concern "He's just sleeping' tis all". 

Daenerys nodded, lips silent as she made a mental note to read up on Direwolves, hoping to understand her new four legged friend the best she could. 

* * *

Hours had passed, and Jon was yet to wake.

Daenerys held the jut of his chin in her hands, her clouded eyes staring down at his closed lids, a childish thought that maybe if she stared hard enough, his eyes might just open.

Her Maester had told her that Jon would be fine. She herself, knew he would be. But she couldn't escape the feeling of fear that began to plague her heart. 

Her mind a blur of what ifs. 

She had never been so thankful for Ser Davos, his quiet yet noticeable presence at her side, like a blind guide. His voice was rough like sand, yet calmed Daenerys in a way only a lullaby could.

Ser Davos was always so tentative, she was surprised it had taken her so long to notice his fatherly approach.

The way he insisted he wrung the cloth out before placing it gently across Jon's forehead, and how he consistently told Daenerys to go and eat.

"I will, once he's awake" Daenerys told him, and for the eight time she was met with Davos's version of a scolding stare. 

"Your Grace, you've been here for hours. Go and eat" Davos told her, the lines around his eyes multiplying when his brow knitted together.

Daenerys chuckled softly, her heart fluttering at his concern for her. She'd missed that. Someone caring about her well being. 

"You've been through a lot together, haven't you?" Daenerys asked coyly, as she steered the conversation off topic, in the hope of distracting him.

"Aye your Grace. We certainly have" Davos replied, a heavy silence followed shortly afterwards. 

And Daenerys got the feeling, he wasn't finished. 

"I'd follow him anywhere, to the ends of the earth, hell and back" Davos muttered gruffly, eyes flickering to Jon and back. "Every battle I've faced, has been at his side. He's a good man Your Grace". 

Daenerys smiled softly, "I know". 

Davos returned the smile, his kind eyes glistening "Now go and eat some god damn food".

Daenerys's smile fell, the subtle roll of her eyes, a silent protest before giving in to Davos's pleas.

She was internally grateful for his persistence when she ate her first piece of fruit. Followed by a second piece, and a third, and a fourth.

Davos was right, she did need to eat. But she'd never tell him that. 

* * *

Daenerys returned a short while later, carrying a ready made basket of food for Davos in one hand, and a book in the other. 

"I hope you ate well" Davos asked, as she placed his basket on the edge of Jon's bed. 

"I ate a little, thank you Ser Davos" She replied, wiping away the sticky reminiscence of the fruit from off the edge of her lips. 

"I had a selection of food made for you, feel free to eat it here" Daenerys gestured to the basket and Davos's tongue swiped across his bottom lip.

"Why thank you, your Grace" His eyes appreciative as he took his first needy bite. 

"I thought I may read to him, if that's alright?" Daenerys asked, toying with the hem of her dress nervously. 

Davos nodded encouragingly, mouth to full of bread to verbally respond.

A drawn out sigh surpassed her lips as her fingers dwindled around the edge of the books opening. Gulping, she turned to the first page of her favourite book. 

"The Targaryen dynasty, long and full of fire and blood. But also peace and prosperity. Aegon the Conquer and his two sisters, Visenya, and Rhaenys began the conquest of Westeros. And from there onwards, the Targaryen's began their rule of the Seven Kingdoms...".

Daenerys didn't miss the short inhale from her side, Davos's brow titled in interest at the book resting between her fingers. 

She continued, trying to ignore the flame scorching her cheeks as she read and read some more about some, if not the most successful Targaryen's that ever lived. 

Daenerys liked to stare at the drawings of Balerion, revelling at how much he reminded her of Drogon, if only a thousands times bigger. It was almost incomprehensible to imagine a beast that size. But then she remembered how Dragons are already a piece of magic, and so, anything was possible.

She hesitantly skipped a few pages, already knowing it was about the love and relationships between the siblings, a topic she did not wish to read aloud in the presence of Davos, or a sleeping Jon.

She finally found the chapter she was looking for, one solely dedicated to the sword Dark Sister. She instinctively knew that Jon would read this chapter, and so she began to read the passage out loud.

* * *

"You have a wonderful reading voice, Your Grace" Davos hummed, chin resting lazily in the palm of his hand, as he stared softly over at the young Queen as she finished her last chapter. 

"Please Ser Davos- Just call me _Daenerys_ " She smoothed the peak in her dress down, feeling Davos's heavy gaze on her. 

"Do you think you'll ever go back?" He asked. 

He didn't stipulate where, he didn't need too. Daenerys knew of where he spoke, and her drawn out silence sufficed as an answer.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't of asked that your- _Daenerys_ " He frowned, his intentions were never to unsettle the Queen. 

"No, no it's quite alright Ser Davos. I haven't really thought about it. Why do you ask?".

Davos shrugged, "Just listening to you reading' tis all. I just wonder where your chapter will end". 

Daenerys scoffed, placing the book on top of Jon's bed linen. "I won't have stories like that written about me, Ser Davos... and _if_ I did, they wouldn't be as nice as that-".

"Nonsense" Davos interrupted her sharply, "What you have achieved is remarkable. Don't belittle all that you have done Daenerys" The softness in his voice returning. 

"And if I remember correctly, there is a story written about you". 

Daenerys gulped, eyes dropping to the floor as shame consumed her body. "I'm not that person anymore Ser Davos. The girl who saved this place, isn't the same one who burned down a city". 

An uncomfortable silence followed shortly afterwards, and Daenerys instantly regretted reopening her wounds, sure she had unintentionally opened some of Davos's too.

"Aye, you burnt a city to the god damn ground. You killed thousands" Davos muttered. 

His honest words stung, but it was a feeling that Daenerys unknowingly welcomed with open arms. What Ser Davos said hurt her, but he was only merely pointing out the truth; however horrible it may be to hear. 

She had burned a city to the ground, she had killed thousands, men, women, children. Innocent or not. 

"Take what you did and use it as a lesson, a guide. Use it as something you never want to do again" Davos told her, holding her trembling stare.

He was right, she needs to take responsibility for her actions, and learn to never make the same mistake again. 

"I don't believe when you burnt down Euron's fleet that you planned to burn the city down too" Davos said gruffly "Jon would have bet his life that you wouldn't". 

That part struck a cord inside her. The feeling of disappointing people, especially Jon. The feeling gnawed away at her for awhile until Davos spoke again. 

"I know what happened in Kings Landing shocked Jon. It shocked me too. Forgive me... but after all that, here we are" Davos gestured to the three of them, his warm eyes creasing in the corners.

Daenerys swallowed quickly, apprehensive at the next words to leave Davos's mouth of honesty.

"And I'm sorry you felt that way, alone" He muttered softly, Daenerys blinked three times to make sure she'd heard him correctly.

"I won't sit here and scold you for what you did. Scolding you won't change the past. I will however make a promise to _you_ , Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen. I will never allow your counsel to fail you. I will _always_ be honest with you, and make sure you make the right choices. There's a goodness within you, a goodness I've only ever seen amongst a few. I want to live out my days knowing I helped spread your goodness as far and wide as possible. You can do so many wondrous things, you just need to have faith in yourself again". 

Tears lined the edge of her lash line, invisible hands tightening her throat until she felt it hard to breathe. "I hope I deserve it Ser Davos" She whispered, before hastily wiping her fallen tears away. 

"You do, you do" He muttered delicately, before reaching over and embracing the young Queen in a hug. She cried into the nook of his shoulder, her tears sinking through his thin layers until they dampend his skin. But Ser Davos didn't seem to mind.

Ghost stirred at the sound of her tears, nestling his face between them to lick her salty tears off her cheeks. 

* * *

A few more hours had passed, and the Maester assured Daenerys that Jon was just severely exhausted, and that she should prepare herself for him to be asleep for awhile.

Daenerys reached for Jon's hand, paying close attention to how soft it felt within her own. Without the harsh Northern climate, his body had softened, his callousness around his palm no longer there. She missed it, because that was all she'd ever known.

The feeling of roughness against her back when he ran lines with his fingers down the centre of her spine. It was soothing to her, comfort. She knew wholeheartedly, she could feel a thousand hands and be able to tell Jon's apart from the rest. 

But now it felt like more of the same. 

"Forgive me your grace but you brood as bad as he" Davos chuckled, eyes fleeting to Jon and back.

Her brow softened slowly as she withdrew her hand from Jon's. "His hands feel different- strange and new".

Daenerys turned to face Davos, inquisitiveness peaking from within. "Aye, it's the climate for'ya. I haven't looked this good in years" Davos grinned, running his fingers through his short beard.

She nodded, "Hm, I never did think of that". 

"That's because your tired your Grace. Go and take a nap-".

Daenerys's mouth parted in protest, but Davos ploughed on. "If he wakes, you'll be the _first_ to know. Y'have my word. Now go, and, get, some, rest" Davos sighed, her resilience reminding him of Jon's, as did the stubborn cross of her arms.

She sighed, lifting herself up off the bed, "If anything changes, wake me at once" She told him, before departing the room swiftly, so that he wouldn't hear her yawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a few days late guys!! I had a few issues. What do we think of Dany + Davos bonding ??? I loveeeee them.  
> The next chapter focuses on Jon's *dream* whilst sleeping, and him recovering/waking up.  
> Davos's question of "what now" will be the main focus for the next few chapters, as well as introducing a show down that needs to happen, against two fairly young males - any guesses as to whom I speak of? As always, thanks for reading & please leave your thoughts below :)


	15. Chapter 15

It was dark, wet, and eerily cold. Although the Northern winds had cursed through Jon's veins since he was a boy, even he shivered at the cold that penetrated his skin. 

Jon's brows were arched, silent lips trying to fathom out where in the hell he was. He was surrounded by darkness, his vision basking in the colour of a Crow.

From North to South, East to West a vision of death was at every angle, at every turn.

He paced around, or at least he thought he did. His feet weren't touching the ground, he guessed they weren't touching anything. The only consistent thing was the blackness.

He moved from side to side, occasionally pinching the loose skin just before his wrist in the hope he might wake up and leave this place behind.

As though the Gods themselves had answered his pleas, a ghostly white orb appeared, at first blinding Jon. The stark contrast from light to dark, white to black shrunk his irises within an instant.

He squinted his eyes, a defensive hand covering them until his eyes had adjusted to the shift in light. 

The orb floated around slowly towards him, the closer it got, the more the brightness began to diminish, until it was a bearable enough light for Jon to take his hand away.

When the orb stopped moving, and his eyes unsquinted, his hand dropped limp at his side. 

"What is this" Jon rasped, disbelief surging through his stricken eyes. 

“Dany” His arm reached out to touch her, but it fell inches short of her floating body. 

It was her alright. That, Jon was sure of. She was floating, the wispy parts of her hair blowing as though there was a gentle breeze. But there was no breeze here, there was _nothing_ here. 

Jon didn't speak again, eyes frozen on Daenerys's ethereal figure. The edges of her body were blurred, glows of white and gold flourishing around the outline of her body. 

The blackness Jon found himself in the centre of, didn't feel so dark and cold anymore. Not now Daenerys was here.

Or was she there?

She hadn't spoken, and although Jon was certain it was her, she was devoid of everything that made Daenerys, Daenerys.

Her clothing was simplistic, a thin white cotton gown, with bell sleeves. Her hair was loose, not a single braid in sight. Her eyes had no shine, no emotion. They were empty, as empty as the feeling inside Jon's chest. 

Her eyes were silent, watching Jon so obviously, as if waiting for him to make the first move. Jon's mouth was aghast in horror and confusion. Mostly the latter, he didn't understand what was happening.

"What is this place?" Jon asked, holding on to a small slither of hope for an answer.

Daenerys mouth twitched, and to Jon's relief she replied. 

“Why did you kill me?” She asked, frowning as she placed a defensive hand across her chest. On the very spot that Jon had stabbed his dagger through all those weeks ago.

His relief was instantly cut short. He frowned painfully; words seemingly stuck at the bottom of his throat. He didn’t understand, she wasn’t dead, she was alive.

“Jon?” Daenerys pushed, still awaiting an answer. 

“I don’t understand” The crease in his brow deepened. “You’re not dead. We’re together, alive in Meeren”.

She smiled briefly, but it was overshadowed by her unnerving blank eyes. “I never made it to Kinvara. Drogon took me away to the place I saw in my dreams. My lemon tree...” she trailed off, hands ghosting around the black space between them.

Jon was silent. The sound of his rugged breath filling the blank void he was in the middle of “No” he shook his head firmly. “You went to Kinvara, that’s where Drogon took you”. 

Daenerys shook her head slowly, “He took me to the one place I’d dreamt of since I was a little girl. And he waited with me, until my body wasted away. He sat with me every day and every night. But eventually there was nothing left to guard. And so he disappeared, just like his Mother”.

Jon's fists clenched at the trickery that was divulging infront of him, the strain on his knuckles making his arms shake at his sides.

"This cannot be" He whispered, staring into the eyes of the women he loved. “Your dead?” He asked, uncertain. 

“I am Jon Snow” Daenerys replied dryly, her words abrupt and to the point. 

“But- but you were meant to go to Kinvara” Jon countered, edging his body closer to the brightness, closer to her. 

“You thought wrong Jon Snow" Daenerys spat, her lips curling into a snarl. "Drogon took me somewhere he felt was safe for me... your ridiculous plan didn’t work”. 

For the first time Daenerys, or rather this figment of Daenerys broke out of character her blank eyes and tight lips were gone. Anger seeping through her flared nostrils and unnerving stare. 

Her words were brash, hot and heavy. 

“Dany, I- “.

“Goodbye Jon” She replied firmly, cutting him off.

“Daenerys- wait” he pleaded, lunging forward to grab her arm, but his hand swiped blindly through the space her body had been. She disappeared, taking the light with her, taking Jon's hope with her too.

Jon was alone again, the darkness closing in on him and he tried to fight it, tried to run away, but it consumed him.

And then, there was nothing.

* * *

Jon awoke brazenly, spluttering for breath desperately as though he’d just surfaced from under water. His heart beating so profoundly he half believed it would pump straight out of his chest.

His eyes were wide in alarm, the same burdening feeling in his chest reminding him so clearly of the time he was bought back to life. The shock, the tremors, everything.

He coached his erratic breathing until the pain in his chest was bearable, and he felt calmer.  

Jon frowned so hard he felt his two brows briefly meet, mind racing, thoughts fleeting. And that's when he heard a chuckle, a _familiar_ one to say the least.

"You gave us quiet a scare Jon".

"Davos" Jon breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders beginning to slouch back down. He had never been so relieved to see his old friend. 

"Us?" Jon asked, placing his arm out to steady himself, his head feeling suddenly heavy.

"Aye, me and the Queen" Davos nodded, eyes glancing at the book on his bedside.

Ghost made a noise, and Davos reached out to pat him "Sorry... me, the Queen  _and_  Ghost".

Jon paused, his vision still untrusting and blurred.

"She's been here, at your side all day. She'll be pissed you chose to wake up at the very moment she left the room" Davos suppressed a smirk, almost pitting Jon for his ill timing. 

"What happened?" Jon asked, still dazed and confused about how he ended up in bed, with a throbbing jaw.

"Some kind of heat stroke apparently" Davos shrugged, scratching his bearded chin.

Jon nodded, but remained silent. Davos eyed him suspiciously, sensing an undeniable unease in his adoptive son. "Something else troubling you Jon?".

"No- Yes- Maybe... I don't know. I can't remember what happened and I had this-".

"You scared you made a fool of yourself?" Davos interrupted him, smile far to pleasant for Jon's liking.

Jon bit down the urge to explain to Davos what he had seen, figuring it was easier that way. "Aye".

"Daenerys was very concerned, I heard she slapped your face until her hands became so numb, she couldn't hit you anymore" Davos chuckled.

"But no lad, I don't think you did anything you'd regret. Except for maybe waking up" He notably pointed out.

Jon groaned, sighing as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. “Davos, I had a dream- “.

Jon’s sentence was cut short by the sound of armour clanging down the hallway.

They shared a silence exchange, and Jon fell back hastily into the pillows, shutting his eyes tightly on the off chance it was Daenerys returning. 

His instincts were correct, the sound of her light steps echoing around his room as she entered. Her familiar vanilla and spice scent finding its way to him.

"Daenerys, you've been asleep for all of two minutes" Davos frowned, eyes staring disapprovingly at the Queen.

"I don't know what bothers me more. The fact Jon's pretending to be asleep. Or that you didn't fetch me like you said you would" Daenerys huffed, eyes burning disapproving holes into Jon's forehead.

Jon's eyes opened at once, feeling no need to embarrass himself or the Queen anymore. Their eyes briefly crossed, a guilty weight pulling on Jon's chest.

She looked tired, the bags under her eyes almost swallowing the sparkle they normally held. Jon sucked in a breathe, revelling at her; _she was very alive and breathing._

"Your Grace" Davos tilted his head to the side, "I can assure you... Jon has only just awoken. I would have gotten you, as you had asked". 

The older man’s words were sincere, and Daenerys suddenly felt very guilty for her brash entrance. "Sorry Ser Davos-".

He held his hand up, halting her from continuing  "Nonsense... sit down, I'll give you some time to talk". 

He left without another word, and Daenerys unwittingly missed his presence. She gulped nervously, her lonesome figure dwindling in the centre of the room.

She took the seat beside Jon's bed, eyes peering to his as silence settled between them. 

Jon avoided looking at her, and Daenerys got the impression that her steely expression was to blame. 

"You look tried, you should rest" Jon muttered, body shifting further under the bed linen. 

"I will... once I know you’re okay" Daenerys reasoned with him, taking the plunge to swipe his shorter curls from off his face.

Jon didn't react in the slightest, he'd grown used to her toying with his hair. Although she hadn't touched it since the Battle of the Dead. Something that both of them noticed as she pulled her hand away quickly. 

Jon saw the flash of confusion across her face, and he figured she must be struggling to find her place with him. Falling into old habits was easy, but they weren't the same people anymore. Her tightly clasped hands cloaked Jon's eyes with sorrow. 

He didn't want her to feel that way, like she was on eggshells with him. She could twirl his curls along her fingers for as long as she wanted. He wouldn't mind, he'd _never_ mind. 

Jon would of told her that, but there were more pressing matters to mention.

"I had a dream, well- a sort of nightmare" He began, his words gathering her interest.

"Was it a vision?" Daenerys asked hesitantly.

Jon shook his head, before guilt washed over him "It was of you".

Daenerys faltered, not sure how willing she was to listen to a tale of a nightmare. A nightmare about her.  

"You were there- I don't know where we were... but it was dark, this suffocating darkness everywhere". 

"It was cold too" Jon shivered at the memory. 

"You told me you were dead and that you never made it to Volantis- My plan didn't work... You were dead". 

The fear that flashed through his eyes was all too real for Daenerys. She hesitantly enveloped her hand in his, "I'm here- see" She gestured to their intertwined hands.

"I know" Jon smiled restrictively, his jaw still uncomfortably tight.

"But- I didn't realise- I" He sighed, wishing he could rewind time. Wishing he could of executed anyone who threatened the life of the women he loved.  

"My plan might not have worked; I think I got lucky it did... I killed you, the love of my life, the woman I love all based off a _theory_. A chance that Drogon would take you where I needed you to go". 

His face became flushed, the tense flick of his tongue as he spoke gave Daenerys an incline into how badly he felt. 

"It worked, that's the main thing... right?" She asked, surprising herself at how easily she found it to reason with him.

"No" He huffed, throwing the blanket off him angrily.

"What if he didn't go- what if Drogon took you to a safe place, like your lemon tree- and... God Daenerys I would have killed you, and you wouldn't have come back. I was stupid, a shadow of a man who was too blinded by honour, and family and love to see that my plan was ridiculous. It was based off nothing but chance". 

Jon's voice began to lose its gruffness, the crack of emotion that rang out sliced Daenerys heart it two.

"It was careless Jon" She agreed, yet she still clung onto his hand "I could have ended up anywhere, and still be dead now... But I'm not. You can't lose sleep over something that didn't happen". 

Jon's frown didn't weaken, and Daenerys knew for tonight at least, he believed otherwise.

"I know I've said it before... But I am sorry. For everything. My family, Tyrion. Instead of using my authority to keep you safe, I did exactly what they asked" He swallowed thickly. 

"Now, your life is back here in Meeren. Because of me, you have no choice but to live out your days here. In _hiding_ from Westeros. I should of helped you come out on top. Not take you back to where you first started. Fearing for your life-". 

Daenerys laughed then, her lips breaking apart, as did their hands. 

"If I wanted to, I could sail for Westoros tomorrow, burn everything to the ground. Burn _your_ family to the ground, burn Tyrion fucking Lannister to the ground. I am not scared of anyone Jon. Let that be known" Her words were feverish, and held greater weight than either one of them seemed to realise. 

"I _choose_ to stay here. I _choose_ to lay low. I have no desire to take what is mine for now, and rest assured it _is_ mine, back from my enemies. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of making mistakes and having to pay the highest price. I am not here because you killed me, I'm here because I want to be. Because I can't face what I did there. I'm not sure if I will _ever_ be ready". 

Daenerys's frame shrunk back into her chair, hands running through the ends of her curls as she avoided Jon's questioning gaze.

Jon blinked repeatedly, " I should never have given in and took you away. I will regret it for the rest of my life. I should have spoken to you about it, we could of worked something out-". 

"I know you think you did what you did out of love. But you pushed me away the second you found out who you really were. So don't pretend we would of lived happily ever after. You didn't want that, not with me anyway". Daenerys said calmly. 

Jon went to speak, explain his reasons, but Daenerys stopped him. She already knew his reasons, she already knew it all. 

"I must retire to my chambers, Ser Davos was right, I do need some sleep" Daenerys whispered flatly.

 Daenerys began to rise up from the chair, but Jon's hand held her back. His eyes searched hers desperately. 

"I would of forgiven you for Kings Landing- I _do_ forgive you... I just don't- Everything's a mess" Jon sighed irritably.

"Goodnight Jon. I will come by tomorrow". 

She lent forward and brushed his knuckles against her lips. His breath hitched at the gesture, but it was over quickly, and before Jon knew it the warmth of her hand disappeared, leaving his alone and numb. 

He watched her leave, regret and confusion filling his brooding stare. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been awhile guys. Feeling a little weird writing this as of late. I don't think anyone is particularly bothered. Can y'all let me know if your still feeling this fic???  
> Unhappy with everything I write lately, I just feel BLAH.  
> If you are reading, kisses to you :)


	16. Chapter 16

Jon rolled over countless times, brain incomprehensible of resting, making the peaceful sleep he'd hoped for seem impossible.

He was thinking about Daenerys of course, and the way her lips felt against his knuckle. How the fullness of her lips made his heart flutter.

He wasn't ashamed of it, loving her.

Yes, she's his Aunt. But he loved her well before his true identity had been revealed. Feelings don't just disappear, they don't drift away into thin air, into nothing.

Even when it may have been _easier_ that way. It was too hard to let her go, the thought of being without her left him feeling blindsided, apprehensive of the future that he'd have to face alone.

He briefly thought Kings Landing would have been the end of them, he remembered how scared he was to look at her, in case it wasn't the women he loved staring back at him. But it was, amidst the carnage and smell of burnt flesh, she looked at him, as if for the very first time.

Her eyes weren't cold, they were moist, disbelieving at the chaos below. But she was a Queen, and Jon knew she would have rode out her massacre of Kings Landing with grace and poise. Not dwelling, at least _publicly_ on what she had done.

She still had humanity, he hadn't lost her to fire and blood. But she'd still lashed out, and many, **many** people paid the price for it.

He wished to the God's he'd been there for her more, after everything she had lost, she thought she'd lost him to. But Jon was wrapped up in his own problems, his sisters on one hand, his true parentage on the other.

He fantasied of how things would have been if Bran had told him just that little bit later. After the battle of the dead, so that Jon could give Daenerys the comfort she deserved, she needed. But he left her alone, blind, sat upon her Dragon as Cersei Lannister gloated in the safety of her Castle after killing Missandei.

Jon may not have had a Dragon, but he knew he would of lashed out too. Maybe not as destructively as Daenerys had, but whoever had inflicted pain on him would have suffered, he would of made them pay.

He finally settled on his back, eyes staring blankly at the high ceiling and the intricate tapestry's that were carved into it. Eventually he lost interest, and resumed to thinking of Daenerys.

If only they talked more.

Jon was never much of a talker, in his younger years Robb would always be able to charm the ladies, because he was a natural talker, a natural charmer. Something Jon lacked, that and the fact he was known as Ned Starks Bastard, which obviously worked against him.

The odds had _always_ worked against him, yet Daenerys was drawn to him, endeared by him, a bastard from the North. She was everything he was not, regal, ethereal, she was _born_ to rule.

He should never have bought her to Winterfell, but then he scoffed at himself. He knew he'd ask for her help time and time again, because he needed her. He needed to defeat the Night King.

He rolled onto his stomach, huffing deeply in agitation. Why does he always do this, think but never speak. He was driving himself crazy, he was driving Ghost crazy too.

His fidgeting irritating the Direwolf enough for him to prowl onto the balcony to sleep. Because anything was better than lying beside Jon and his very loud thoughts.

Jon shuffled under the sheets once more, but this time a solid object pressed against his bare hip. Frowning, he drew the object from under his sheets, and to his surprise it was one of Daenerys's books.

He vaguely remembers her talking about this one, it was her favourite. Inquisitively, he picked it up, shuffling once again into a comfortable reading position.

He opened the book, smiling at the softness of the leather it was lined with, and how much it reminded him of Daenerys's creamy skin.

He bent his neck forward, head nearly fully submerged into the spine of the book, he took a breath, not sure why his palms began to feel so sweaty.

Apprehensive eyes landed on the first sentence, and then, he began to read. 

* * *

Across the hall, Daenerys lay awake, sighing in frustration as another hour passed by, and she still hadn't settled to sleep. She was exhausted, she could feel it consuming her body, yet her eyes just couldn't seem to close.

"Stupid Jon Snow" She muttered into the comfort of her bed sheet. He wasn't even beside her, yet he still found ways to annoy her. She couldn't stop thinking about him, about them.

Together.

Was she naive for thinking maybe one day, they could leave Meeren together and go wherever their hearts desired. They could live... happily, together.

A flash of red hair and blue eyes broke out inside her head, and she knew it would never be possible. Just because they were no longer in Westeros didn't mean everything could be forgotten.

Daenerys reminisced of the very first time she step foot on the Snow of the North. She examined explicitly her actions, her mannerisms, she had been nothing but a perfect Queen. She had been kind, complimentive, she had been in love. Desperately seeking the love of the family of her significant other.

And they refused it, they _refused_ her.

Her nostrils flared instinctively, hands balling into small fists as she felt the chill of the Northern winds brash against her cheeks. Before she knew it, tears were running down them. She closed her eyes in defeat, tired of feeling the pain of rejection, of not being good enough.

Was it silly of her to think her and Sansa would have been friends, sisters even? That Ayra would of joined her and Jon on the back of a Dragon. That's what Daenerys had hoped for, something she'd never truly had.

A family.

But it was too late for pleasantries now, what's done is done. The family she thought she might have, cease to exist.

And the family she did have, is gone.

Except for Grey Worm.

Drogon.

_And Jon._

She has a question mark above Jon's head. Maybe one day he'll change his name, or maybe one day he'll ask her to leave with him and never come back. Maybe one day, he'll ask her to be his, and he be hers.

Daenerys didn't believe in many things, but she believed in love, and that small slither of something between them hadn't died out. As long as they stay on this side of the sea, nothing can pull them apart again.

Or can it?

Daenerys was interrupted by the sound of knocking on her door. Frowning she slipped her overcoat on, and walked slowly towards the door. She knew it wasn't Grey Worm, because he always introduced himself when knocking; something that always made her smile.

She bravely pulled back the door, brows raising in surprise to see Jon's half clothed body on the other side.

"Thank god your awake" He sighed in relief.

Daenerys gave him a quizzical look, "Is everything alright?".

"Better than alright-" He huffed, eyes wide and elated. "Can I come in?".

Daenerys nodded, giving him an unsure smile as she stepped aside to let him enter. He bundled over to her bed, hoisting himself up onto it. The crease in her brow deepened, but she didn't say a word.

"So, I've been reading this and I have some questions" He looked shyly from the book he was brandishing in his hand, to Daenerys who still stood by her now closed door.

"Oh- okay" She suppressed an overly eager smile, before joining him on the bed, averting her eyes away from his bare chest.

Jon sat cross legged, the book buried in the loose cotton of his trousers, Daenerys followed suit, their knees briefly touched and she muttered an apology.

"Its okay Dany" Jon whispered, brazen eyes glancing to her lips and back.

The air felt tight for a few seconds, until Jon turned his attention back to the book.

"So, Aegon the Conquer was called that because he conquered?".

Daenerys smirked, tilting her head to the side as she gazed questionably at him. "I think you answered that question yourself".

Jon didn't flush the way she predicted he would, and Daenerys got the feeling that wasn't his question. It was merely the start of a bigger one.

"He burnt some cities to the ground, but others submitted to his rule without the need of bloodshed. In this book, he's like- everyone remembers him as _good_. A good King. A good Ruler".

Jon's emphasis on the word good, unsettled Daenerys. She began to put two and two together and realised exactly where this conversation was going.

"I know what your trying to do Jon. But that's not me" She shook her head, uncrossing her legs so that they dangled over the edge of her bed.

"But why aren't you?" Jon asked her, desperate eyes clouding over with something Daenerys couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Kings Landing" She cast a warning glare his way, words sharp and full of heat.

Jon didn't deter from her steely tone, "He destroyed cities too. But listen-" He opened the book, flicking to the page he was after.

"Aegon the Conquer was the first ruler of Westeros, he ruled with fairness, kindness and a love for the people that were his people".

Daenerys rolled her eyes, "You can't compare us Jon".

"Yes I can" He fired back, "You can redeem yourself, you can rebuild Kings Landing- you can make up for what you-".

"Enough" Daenerys shouted, eyes fiery and wide. "I can't go back there. Don't you understand?" She spat, jumping off the bed.

"If I go back... I'm afraid I'll loose myself again. I lost my temper once, who's to say I won't do it again. The second I step foot on the shores of Westeros, my name will be spoken in horror. I'll have a target on my back, from everyone- but especially _your family_ ".

The glimmer in her eyes began to dampen, and Jon felt an uneasiness at the mention of his family. "I'll protect you, you know that" He replied confidently.

She shook her head "It's not about protection Jon. It's about being welcomed, begin _accepted_. Long ago, I thought I would be welcomed into the throne room by everyone. But not now".

Jon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose "Maybe you can change that".

Daenerys bent down at his feet, placing a hand on his elbow "I know your only trying to help. But it's my decision to make, if I say I'm not ready. I'm _not_ ready".

Jon cupped her left cheek in his hand, eyes still alight with hope, "Maybe one day?" He asked, swiping his thumb across her cheek.

Daenerys didn't speak, still stunned at the warmth of the hand on her cheek, so she nodded slowly.

Jon's lips curled into a brief smile, "I'll leave you to sleep".

He withdrew his hand, and Daenerys momentarily frowned at the retraction, "Jon-".

He paused by her bed, waiting for her to speak "I.... Goodnight".

Jon bowed his head gracefully, before leaving the room. Daenerys's eyes were glued to the door, hoping he might burst back through it and envelope her in his arms the way she had imagined.

The way she wanted him to.

But the door knob never turned, and he never came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all - thank you ALL so much for leaving those comments on my previous chapter. This chapter was written entirely for you. You gave me some inspo, some love and I'm so grateful for it!!!! Secondly, I know a few of you are like "wheres Sansa?" "Where's Westoros?". Bitches listen, it's COMING okay? I have another 3/4 chapters worth of Meeren to go before we embark on the next adventure. So just hang tight. I won't let you down. I PROMISE.  
> Kisses to you all x


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There may be a little smut going on in today's chapter... or it may be the next. I’m undecided. Either way, you’ve been warned ;)

It had been two weeks since Jon had fell ill during his outing with Daenerys. Two weeks of blissful sunny mornings, and warm summer nights. Jon was beginning to adapt to the heat, everyday it felt a little bit more bearable.

A little bit more like  _home._

He and Daenerys had spent the majority of the two weeks together, sometimes alone, sometimes with Ser Davos or Grey Worm.

Most nights, when the sun began to set and Daenerys and Jon would have to part, Ghost would tuck himself in at her side defiantly, and she'd fuss him until her hands became heavy and overcome with numbness. 

Their departures were always a little awkward. Neither one of them wanting the other to leave, neither one of them making any attempt to bid the other goodnight.

But then Grey Worm would call for Daenerys, and her silent eyes would stare at Jon, seemingly saying a thousand things, yet she'd only ever smile, and whisper a soft "Goodnight", before disappearing down the corridor. 

As for Drogon, had been seen in fleets and bounds. He was still angry with her, Daenerys knew it. She could feel it cursing through her veins. His anger, his confusion, his feeling of betrayal.

He refused to get close enough for her to touch him, or mount his back, it taunted her, being able to look but not touch. To not reach out and feel her child in her grasp.

Instead he hung back in the distance, or planted himself on top of roofs that were out of Dany's reach, where all she could do was look at him. She would call his name, scream it from her very lungs until her throat burned. 

But it made no difference, he didn't come to her. Not ever. 

She missed him, god she missed so much. Her only remaining living child, pushing her away. She knew being around Jon didn't help. But without Jon, she wasn't sure how she'd cope. 

Dany was thankful at least, that Drogon would appear every few days. A small part of her still had hope he would come around to the idea of Jon being a part of her life again, his indirect way of making his presence known a small indicator that he wasn't consumed with as much anger as Daenerys had once thought. 

He showed himself often enough for her to not drown in worry for him, and that's why she respected him enough to give him the space he needed. He may be a Dragon, but he's her child nonetheless. 

Daario had been his usual self, ignoring Jon as though he was a mere fly in the room. Daenerys wasn't entirely sure they'd ever held an actual conversation. That would have to change, she had decided.

She needed her closest allies to at least stomach being around one another. Though she got the impression the issue came from Daario, and not Jon.

Daario could be insufferable, but occasionally his bravado would slip and a man who just wanted to be loved would appear.

He doted on Daenerys, the way any fool in love would. Offering to bring her breakfast in the morning, or asking for her hand as he escorted her around the flower garden. 

Daenerys was privy to his charming ways, but her heart belonged to the Northern man within her company, and that wasn't about to change.

Daario knew that, although he never voiced it. But it didn't stop him trying to win over the Dragon Queen's heart.

* * *

It was late afternoon, and Daenerys was busy tending to one of her dresses that had gotten caught on a rose bush.

Two weeks ago, a local dressmaker from the nearby village had offered to teach her to sow, and Daenerys willingly accepted the offer, and had several lessons every week. 

At first, she found it hard to grasp, sowing took much more attention than she had ever anticipated it would, and she inevitably sympathised with her own dressmaker who was given the complicated task of making new dresses for her every few weeks.

Eventually though, she got the hang of it, and was confident enough in repairing her clothing, and the clothing of others. 

"There you are" Daario smiled in relief, entering the study room. He made himself at home, planting himself on the seat beside her.

"I've been looking for you everywhere". 

Daenerys didn't shift her attention away from the thread of her needle, the tip of her tongue sticking out just past her lips, concentration embedded in the crease of her brow.

Daario was surprisingly patient, not uttering another word until she had finished her final stitch, and was able to look over at him with a question hanging over her lips. 

"I have some exciting news, my Queen". 

His smirk brought heat to her cheeks, as she eyed him suspiciously. Never knowing what would fall from his lips.

He's a man of mystery, something Daenerys realised a long time ago. 

"I've decided to hold a fight in your honour four days from now. I, of course need you to tell me that you will attend". 

He looked at her directly, yet his left hand fidgeted at his side, so minimally to the untrained eye, they wouldn't notice. But Daenerys did, she knew Daario far better than even he realised. 

His smirk was confident and full of assurance, yet he was anything but. He was seeking her approval, the honour of her attending, and for some reason she couldn't stomach the thought of disappointing him. 

"I would love to" She quipped, smile tight. 

Daario breathed a sigh of relief, before excusing himself "I must spread the word. Queen Daenerys is to make her first royal public appearance". 

He kissed her cheek quickly, giving her no time to react, before departing the drawing room in a blur.

Daenerys sighed heavily, resting into the back of her chair. She hoped the fight would be quick, not wanting to entertain the thought of violence, whether it ended with bloodshed or not. She'd had far to much violence in her life as of late, but she had to do this.

Daenerys swallowed down her distaste for the event, swiping her wine goblet from off the table and downing it in one quick gulp.

Sighing, she departed the lonesome study and made her way to the one place that lately she'd felt most at ease. 

Daenerys followed the pebble path down to the back of the Pyramid, where a small orchard was beginning to take shape.

Every colour flower imaginable lined the dozen or so flower beds. It was appealing to look at, and even better to smell, each flower holding it's own intricate scent.

Opposite the orchard, was where Jon spent most of his day, a makeshift training ground where groups of the Unsullied would practise combat amongst one another. 

Jon's figure amongst them had started to become a common occurrence, and although Daenerys protested at him joining in, when she saw the bond between him and Grey Worm start to flourish again, she bit her tongue and allowed them to continue. 

She was happy that Jon was making an effort to fix the relationships his actions had shattered, and right now, Grey Worm needed a friend. Daenerys hoped, prayed even, that Jon would be just that. 

Daenerys walked over to her usual spot, a white stone bench, with three dragon heads carved out on either sides arm rest. She sat down beside Ser Davos; it was his favourite spot to. 

"Daenerys" Ser Davos greeted her with a smile, eyes peering over the book within his grasp. 

"Ser Davos" Daenerys bowed her head slowly, before leaning into his arm to get a better view of the book across his lap. 

"What are we reading today?" She asked, eyes flickering to where Jon stood and back. 

"Today my dear, we're read-".

Ser Davos was cut off by the sound of a scuffle, pebbles being kicked around across the sand. Daenerys frantically whipped her head into the direction of the noise. Through the trails of dust blowing in the wind, her eyes locked onto Jon and Grey Worm walking around in a circle, holding one another in some sort of head lock.

Neither one of them daring to submit and shout  _mercy._

 _Fools,_ Daenerys thought, smiling widely from ear to ear. 

"Are they always so...." Daenerys grimaced awkwardly scrunching her nose at the sight of them and their foolish prides.

"Stupid?" Davos asked lightly, before smiling with joy as Grey Worm tapped out, and Jon was for once victorious. 

"Yes,  _stupid_ " Daenerys repeated, following Davos's gaze.

"Aye, although dare I say it... Jon never wins. Grey Worm is particularly good at finding Jon's weakness" Davos said, eyes intrigued by the image of Jon extending his hand for Grey Worm to take as he hoisted him up off the floor.

 _Something that Jon was normally on the receiving end of._  

"Maybe, his luck changed because of the company he is in... or maybe that's exactly why he won. I'm sure he'd turn crimson for bastard months if he lost infront of you" Davos quipped, playfully nudging Daenerys's arm. 

Daenerys rolled her eyes, "I don't care for winner’s Ser Davos. Only those that show bravery and courage. And if they win? Well, that's an even bigger blessing". 

Davos didn't comment on the way her eyes lingered on Jon, nor how quickly she'd defended him. She didn't seem particularly bothered by her sudden outburst, and Davos figured it had just come naturally to her. 

_Defending Jon._

"I meant no offence your Grace" Davos sympathised.  

"Nonsense" Daenerys dismissed him with the abrupt shake of her head, "And I've told you... Call me  _Daenerys_ " Her tone was stern, but her eyes as always were soft and kind.

"Sorry,  _Daenerys_ " Davos repeated himself, he returned to face his book "Aren't you going to congratulate the winner?".

Daenerys suppressed a smirk, her movement sufficing as an answer as she rose up from the bench and walked down the path towards the training ground.

She didn't look at Jon, or so much as acknowledge him, as she made her way to the Orchard. It was a common occurrence; a childish one she knows.

_Her walking along as if he wasn't there, and pretending she couldn't feel his heavy gaze on her back._

And then, just like every other time, Jon's voice would slice through the air and he'd call out to her "Dany". 

She would smile, happy her name had fell from his lips, eyes lighting up, before turning around slowly to face him. "Jon" She nodded, face demure and unreadable. 

Jon bid Grey Worm farewell, the latter already knowing Jon's departure was coming, as he picked their spears off the ground and hurried back inside for a break.

Jon jogged towards her, before falling inline at her side. His chest was still heaving, forehead still glistening with sweat.

"I see you won today" Daenerys pried, looking down at the tiny pebbles beneath her feet. 

"Aye" Jon huffed, attempting to catch his breath "I can see why he's at the top". 

They exchanged a brief glance, Daenerys's lips curling upwards at his sweat ridden cheeks.

Without hesitation, she reached for a favour,  _ ~~that just happened to be tucked away inside her dress~~_ , before swiping it delicately across Jon's face. 

His heart was racing, not able to tear his eyes away from her beauty. She patted down his forehead, and he hated the way he froze under her touch. He was always magnetised by her, but whenever she touched him, it was like a dozen strikes of lightening had penetrated his body.  

"Thank you" He rasped when she removed her hand. 

Daenerys shrugged her pleasantry off like it was nothing, but they both silently knew she didn't have to do it. 

"Which flower are we to water today?" Jon asked, shedding the leather armour from off his back as they entered the Orchard. 

Daenerys pursed her lips, eyes scanning the length of the ground and back, deep in though. "How about these ones?" She suggested, bending down to touch the palm sized royal blue petals. 

"Aye, these ones it shall be" Jon nodded, before hoisting the bucket of water he'd gotten from the nearby well earlier that day, over towards her. 

"Aren't they beautiful Jon" Daenerys sighed, eyes staring longingly at the flowerbed. "All of them are". 

Jon's gaze shifted from the flowers at their feet to her, his stomach tying in knots at the look on her face. She seemed so at ease, so peaceful. So much so Jon was half implored to demand there were flowers in every room.

Anything to see her smile the way she was right now.

 _Maybe I'll do that,_  Jon thought, toying with the idea. 

"Are you listening to me?" Daenerys asked, rising up from the ground. 

"Uh" Jon muttered, a flustered hand running through his hair. 

Her frown began to fall, rolling her eyes in a playful manner " _I said,_  I would like you to attend dinner with me tonight- in my room". She avoided his gaze, knowing she'd surely turn crimson at the sight of him. 

Daenerys shuffled from one foot to the other. Not quite understanding her new apprehension when being around him.

 _Maybe it’s because you love him,_ the voice in her head asked.

 _Or maybe your scared he’ll reject you, just like he did in Winterfell,_ her other voice suggested.

Daenerys blinked rapidly, ushering the unwanted voices in her head away, waiting with bated breath for Jon’s answer.

She told herself it wouldn’t be a big deal if he said no, but deep down she knew it would crush her.

_Maybe the voice was right, she is scared of rejection._

"I, would love to. If you’re sure?" Jon asked, eyes uncertain. 

"I am, are you?" Daenerys bit back, brow raised at his noticeable pause. 

"Yes, yes of course. I just- won't people say things?" His eyes squinted awkwardly, feeling her heavily growing gaze darken. 

"Let them" Daenerys hissed, "It's only  _dinner_  Jon".

With her hands balling at her sides, she stalked off back down the path towards the Pyramid.

Jon knew he hadn't meant any offence, he was just trying to save her being the topic of conversation. After his run in with the heat, _many_ people had began talking about them, and it wasn't something he liked. 

Her name on other peoples tongue. 

"Aye,  _it's only dinner_ " Jon whispered, his lonely figure left to stare at the darling blue flowers, that didn't feel as charming to look at without her beside him. 

* * *

A few hours had passed, and Jon occupied himself by confining himself to the comfort of his room, to spend some quality time with Ghost.

The Direwolf hadn’t adjusted to the heat as well as Jon had, so every so often Jon would have to bathe him in cool water. "I know you miss the cold boy" Jon whispered, fussing him.

The sun was beginning to set, and for the next few hours at least, Ghost would be able to settle. 

As Jon made his way across the room, Ghost jumped off the bed, shaking his body from side to side, dampening the stone floor. 

"You aren't coming, not tonight" Jon frowned, reaching down one last time to pet him. 

Ghost whined in response, huffing in defeat as he curled up on the floor beside Jon's bed. 

Jon bid him goodnight, before shutting the door firmly behind him. 

"Have you upset her, Jon Snow" Grey Worm asked coldly from the shadows that lined either side of the corridor. 

Before they had found some kind of common ground, Jon would have reached for his sword instinctively, but when his eyes met Grey Worm's he merely frowned in response.

"I don't think I did" Jon muttered, as Grey Worm walked beside him. "And if I did, I meant no harm- I most certainly didn't mean to upset her" Jon sighed honestly.

Grey Worm nodded unsurely, "She seems sad, make her smile again" he patted Jon on the back firmly.

His swift departure from Jon's side a good enough indicator that there were indeed friends now. Grey Worm no longer feeling as though he had to stalk Jon's every movement when alone with Daenerys. 

As Jon continued his short walk down the corridor, he suddenly felt a large presence sneak up behind him.  

Jon turned around swiftly, fearing a sneak attack "What do you want?" He snapped; voice noticeably gruff.

Daario smirked, his face half covered by the unforgiving shadows, satisfied with the displeased look on Jon’s face.

"Ah- there you are. I didn't see you from all up here" Hand gesturing between the two of them and their noticeable height difference.

Jon refrained from rolling his eyes, not wanting to give Daario the pleasure of knowing he had gotten under his skin. 

"I'll ask again, what do you want?" Jon pushed, hoping he wouldn't take up too much of his time. 

"Yes... I almost forgot" Daario grinned.

There was something embedded in his devilishly large eyes that told Jon he wouldn't like what would come out of his mouth next.

"I need you to fight in the pits" Daario demanded calmly. 

Jon shook his head, "No thanks". Jon was here to help Daenerys and help rebuild himself, not get himself involved in unnecessary fights. 

"I'm sure our Queen would love it" Daario muttered through gritted teeth. 

"You think Daenerys will care who wins between two half naked men rolling around on the floor?" Jon chuckled, eyes alight with amusement.

Daario's exterior shrunk slightly, as he took a careful step backwards away from Jon. 

"I know what you did" Daario muttered coldly. He didn't emphasise on what he knew, because Jon could tell. He could see it in the coldness of Daario's eyes, the sternness of his upper lip.

Jon's heart momentarily stopped; she'd told him.

Him.

_Of all fucking people._

"The only reason your body isn't strung up somewhere to rot away is because she asked me not to. But you see Jon..." Daario muttered, twirling his blade around on the tip of his finger.

"I  _love_  her, I will obey her. But... I don't want you here Jon, and once you’re gone Daenerys will realise, she didn't want you hear either. So, let me fight you in the pits. I won't kill you, because she asked that I don't. If I win, you leave, you go and never come back". 

He paused, drawing out one last breath "And if and by god  _if_  by chance you win then I'll back down".

"I don't care what you think of me" Jon laughed, "So fighting you doesn't make a difference to me".

Jon turned on his heel, feeling done with this entire conversation but then Daario stopped him, words slicing through the air. "Fight me, or I will seduce her,  _again._ How long do you think she'll continue to pine for you, something she can't have? Women have needs too".

Daario taunts got under Jon’s skin much more than he'd anticipated, "She wouldn't, she doesn't want anything like that" Jon muttered, eyes glancing to her door meters away from them. 

"We can see about that can't we" The flames hanging on the wall glimmered in Daario's eyes and Jon felt his heart peaking at the thought.

“Daenerys isn’t property, certainly not mine. Don’t be too hard on yourself when she knocks you back” Jon fired back, sure as ever he’d know if Dany intended to find love with someone again.

Daario suppressed a chuckle, basking himself in the joy it brought him to see Jon so bothered “I had her once, Jon Snow. I can surely have her again. My feelings never changed for her, maybe it’s the same for her. Maybe she just wanted you to keep her warm at nig- “.

“Enough” Jon snapped, grabbing onto Daario’s collar and bringing his face inches away from his own.

“I'll fight you” Jon spat.

“But when I knock you down, I want you to remember. Remember it was me, the Northern _bastard_ who took you off your pedestal" Jon warned, before letting go of Daario’s top, and pushing him aside.

Jon charged down the halls, anger brewing in his tightly clenched fists. Daario was a leech, sucking the life from Jon bit by bit, day by day. 

 _Your not a Northern Bastard,_ realisation smacking him firmly in the jaw. 

No he wasn’t, but fuck it. He didn’t care, as long as Daario got the message. 

He knocked hastily on Daenerys's door not caring who could hear as he did so. 

She opened it quickly afterwards, disappointment embedded in the creases of her eyes, but it soon vanished when they landed on Jon. 

"I didn't think you were coming" She whispered, pulling her gown a little more tightly over her chest.

"Sorry" Jon sighed, with a tight frown. “I got intercepted by Grey Worm and then Daario".

Daenerys let out a groan, "I've tried to tell him it's okay, really I have. But he's- he's" She paused, mouth open in the air as she fought to find the right wording to describe Daario.

"He's protective, your guard, he's absolutely obsessed with you. Of course, he won't like me, I wouldn't like me" Jon chuckled, the tension suddenly flooding out of his body as he took a seat on her bed.

Dany's head titled to the side, "Your very wise Jon" She commented, eyes soft.

"What did he want?" She asked, eyes watching his every move.

"Nothing" Jon shrugged.

"Forgive me, but Daario isn't much of a talker. Not unless he's either charming women, or killing someone. Please don’t insult my intelligence” She warned.

“So, I’ll ask you again Jon... what did he want?" Daenerys pushed.

"He just asked about the fighting pits, and-".

"Ugh, of all the things to talk about" She sighed, cutting in.

Jon closed his mouth immediately, his next sentence crushed by his tightly sealed lips.

"When I first came here, I heard stories of them. How the poor and the slaves were made to fight against their will. I know you might find it hard to believe after what you've seen. But- I hate fighting, I hate seeing people  _suffer_ who don't deserve it. I had them shut down, I abolished slavery-" She looked down at her lap, pained eyes closing for a moment.

"Daario told me there's a fight in a few days, ask I attend to show my support- But I don't think I can" She admitted through a tight breath.

Jon's eyes doubled in size, feeling more and more guilty as he listened to her talk. Her clear distaste for it noted by her hunched shoulders and cold tone.

“It’s not all bad though, is it?” Jon asked, shuffling uncomfortably on the bed.

“Well- I guess not. Not now anyw- “.

"And their free men now though, aren't they, the ones who fight?" Jon pressed, treading carefully enough to not cause suspicion.

"Well- yes, they are but-".

"So, let them fight. Nobody dies right?" He shrugged, a smile ghosting his lips.

Daenerys studied him silently, her piercing eyes staring right into his soul. “I guess your right” She concluded after a few intense seconds.  

“Of course, I am” He jeered, “I’m wise remember”.

Daenerys laughed, pushing her reservations of the pits to the back of her mind. The flames dancing in her eyes as they lingered on Jon’s a little longer than they should have, but she didn't care and neither did he.

“What are we eating?” Jon asked, his eyes the first to break away.

Daenerys hid her disappointment well, “I thought we could eat on my balcony”.

She walked through her drapes, and Jon followed swiftly behind her. Two large gold plates were positioned at either end of the table, piled high with all different types of food.

Daenerys took her seat, eyes on the food infront of her and not on Jon’s body that was still standing.

“It’s beautiful” He whispered, eyes scanning over the view of the city and the way dashes of gold illuminated it.

“I know” Daenerys replied, taking a quick swig of wine to settle her nerves. “Are you going to sit Jon, or should I mouth feed you” She chuckled.

Jon sat down, “Sorry. It’s just- “.

“Beautiful. Yes, I know” She quipped, smiling. Thankful he found her city as appealing to the eye as she did.

“Talking of all things beautiful, you look breathtakingly beautiful tonight”.

“Just tonight? I thought I always looked this good” Daenerys teased, teeth clamping down onto her lower lip.

Jon swallowed his found down quickly, throat becoming noticeably tighter.

“You do, always- I just meant”.

“It’s fine, it’s fine” Daenerys chuckled, glad he was as clearly nervous as she was.

Jon’s frown eased out, and they eventually began to eat. “Are you going to eat that?” Jon asked, pointing to the lean meat still left on her plate.

“No, I’m rather full to be honest” Daenerys shook her head, pushing her plate across the table to Jon.

“Thanks” He mumbled inbetween bites.

Daenerys, as always was so enticed by Jon. This time around, she was perplexed by just how much he actually ate.

His mouth devoured a piece of the sweetest fruit Daenerys had ever been familiar with like it was nothing, she watched open, open mouthed at the way his teeth sunk into it, sucking the juices out.

There was juice everywhere, and before she knew it, she was at Jon’s side wiping the juice that was running down his chin away.

Jon placed the fruit back onto his empty plate, sucking each finger dry, savouring every last drop of juice.

Daenerys watched him do it, not sure why her eyes desired to follow each finger as he sucked it.

“Something wrong, Dany?” Jon asked, brows arching at her heavy gaze.

“No- nothing” Daenerys mumbled, throat itching with a building tightness.

From there onwards everything seemed to be a blur. One minute Jon was sucking his fingers, the next Daenerys’s lips were on his and they were inside the privacy of her room.

“Stop” Daenerys hissed, pushing their breathless bodies apart. She looked at Jon, fear consuming her once lustful eyes.

Jon’s lip twitched, already craving to feel hers again. “Dany” He whispered, eyes searching hers.

“Don’t” She muttered, closing her eyes, fearing if she didn’t, she’d give in to what he wants.

_What she wants._

"Tell me you don't want  _me_ " Jon whispered, his lips in such close proximity to hers, she swore blind she felt the tickle of his stubble across her chin. 

Daenerys tried to turn away, but his grip was firm on her wrist, the other slowly trailing up her spine, until it rested at the nape of her exposed neck. 

"Say it" His words desperate, eyes wide and submerging into a blackness she had only ever seen his do. 

She gulped, slow and thick, wanting to savour the way his eyes roamed across her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. 

His fingers cupped her jaw, his nails dragging ever so lightly across her flamed cheeks. "Tell me, you don't want me, to do this".

His words were taunting, and seductive, a brazen hand dipping below the cotton of her gown, cupping it, and then giving it a few gentle squeezes. 

Jon edged his face closer to hers, his lips taunting above her ear. His voice was so devilishly low, full of texture and gruffness, like a wolf stalking its prey. 

"Tell me to stop, Dany". 

Gods, the way he whispered her name was enough for her to come undone beside him. No touch needed for her to wither in some kind of pleasure. 

But she didn't, Daenerys remained still, and so annoyingly silent that Jon began to lose his patience. 

He kissed her neck, paying close attention to suck over the pulsating skin on her neck, her quickening heartbeat to blame.

Every so often, his tongue would dash across her pale skin, a quick relief of cold moisture, before he took to sucking her skin pleasurably dry again. 

She stifled a moan, her breath hitching much to Jon's delight. 

His other hand continued to hold her breast, his index finger rubbing circles around her nipple, plaguing her again. 

She sighed, this time edging her body upwards in frustration, "Touch it properly" Daenerys asked, voice barely above a whisper. 

Jon smiled into the crease of her neck, that was now reddened and sore, a tale of destruction left by his mouth.

He smiled in satisfaction of his accomplishment, before doing as she asked and slotting her nipple between two of his fingers. He played with it, toying with the end of it, until she requested he do something else.

Her senses were set alight one by one with each, suck, lick, bite, twist, knead, pinch. He was like the forbidden fruit, temptation getting the better of her as she devoured into him. Sinking her teeth lightly into his bottom lip, becoming intoxicated by his taste, by his touch. 

Daenerys snapped out of it briefly, pushing her head back, eyes finding Jon’s. Her chest hungry for air as she panted.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“Are you?” Jon asked thickly.

Her eyelashes flickered, eyes closing again as she kissed him passionately, and that was the only answer Jon needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. Here we are, their *first* move. Listen, the next three chapters of Meeren life is going to fuck you all up. Don't say I didn't warn you.  
> Also, P.S sorry if there are ANY mistakes in this. My computer crashed and I had to rewrite alot of this SIGH.  
> Leave thoughts below X


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